introduction of a biography

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The Best Short Professional Bios (Examples + Templates)

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Summary. To write a short bio you should first make an initial introduction introducing yourself in the first or first person. Your short bio should include your brand, your accomplishments, and your values and goals. Your short bio should be one to three short paragraphs or four to eight sentences long.

Knowing how to write a concise, informative, and interesting biography about yourself can help throughout various parts of the professional process. You can use your bio to capture the attention of potential employers or clients and convince them to choose to employ or work with you.

In this article, you’ll learn more about what goes into a short bio and how to write one, and you’ll also get to see some short bio templates and examples to help you get an idea of what yours should look like.

Key Takeaways

A short bio serves to introduce you, your achievements, and what you offer professionally to potential employers or clients.

It’s important to keep your bio brief so that readers stay engaged and will remember your main points.

You may need to adjust your bio for different audiences, as your clients may want to know different information than a recruiter would.

Talk about your skills and accomplishments in your bio, but don’t exaggerate them.

What Is a Short Bio?

How to write a short bio, what to include in a short professional bio, short bio examples, short bio templates, tips for writing a short bio, writing a short bio faq.

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A short bio serves as your introduction to the professional world. In terms of finding or expanding on your job, a bio will cover your:

Work history

Achievements

Any other relevant professional information

Think of it as a professional memoir that a hiring manager or consumer can read and understand quickly. It’s usually about one to three paragraphs depending on experience.

There’s an emphasis on being succinct when it comes to writing a professional bio. This is because a bio is supposed to be a preface to attract recruiter attention and incline them to reach out for more information. Many readers will get lost or bored with a lengthy bio.

Using a short bio can be helpful across very different industries, from marketing to accounting, from psychiatry to sales.

You’re probably familiar with providing short bios on social media websites and applications. While the information and skills you include in a professional bio may differ, the general formatting is similar.

There’s a lot of considerations to take into account when writing a short bio, and it can quickly become intimidating. Deciding what information is relevant and how to keep it near 140 characters is no small task.

If you’re having difficulty writing a short bio, follow the outline below to craft an introduction that engages your reader.

Make an initial introduction. You can’t jump right into everything you’ve done and what you want to do in the future before introducing yourself.

Your bio’s first sentence should begin with your full name in the third person or introduce yourself in the first person and continue to briefly outline your most notable skills and accomplishments. It’s a good place to state your current job and employer.

Go deeper with what motivates you. Once you’ve catchily illustrated who you are in your short bio, you can use the second sentence to describe your motivations for your work.

Stating what drives you to do the work you do is essential to employers and customers alike. Whether you work as a physician or fitness consultant , there’s a reason why this is your profession, and you should explain that in your short professional bio.

Describe your accomplishments. Your short bio is for detailing why you’re the ideal candidate to be trusted with handling an employer or consumer’s business. By describing your prior accomplishments, you let them know what you could offer as an employee and how you’ve succeeded in the past.

While you should avoid sounding braggy, the reader is looking for information about what your qualifications are , and your accomplishments generally measure these qualities.

Even though you could probably go on for ages about the details of your accomplishments, save that for an interview . In a short bio, only include the most impressive of your achievements to outline.

Accomplishments relevant to a short bio could include:

Impressive results on a project

Former promotions

Awards received in your field

Certifications received

Include contact information. The purpose of a short bio as either a business or a job seeker is to inspire the reader to reach out. Without contact information, this pursuit becomes futile. Make sure your short bio has some way to contact you at the end.

Relevant contact information may include:

Phone number

Professional networking profile

A short professional bio includes:

Your full name. You can choose to write your bio in the first person (I, me, my) or third person (he, she, they), but either way, you need to include your full name at some point. Branding doesn’t work so well without a brand name (i.e., you!)

Your brand. Of course, if you have an actual brand that you’re trying to market, you should include the brand name as well.

What you do. Summarize what you want the reader to know about what you do in one sentence — tricky, we know.

Your accomplishments. For a short bio, you can stick with just one major accomplishment from your professional life. Or, if you have a string of impressive achievements, try condensing all of them down to one sentence.

Your goals and values. Let the reader know what makes you tick — why do you do what you do and what do you hope to achieve with your work? People are compelled by a story more than anything else, so it’s important to get this part right.

Something personal (optional). If you have a quirky tidbit about yourself you’d like to include, go for it. Just make sure it doesn’t throw off te the tone of the rest of your bio.

Contact info (optional). If your bio is serving as a call-to-action to drum up business or get leads on job opportunities, it makes sense to include your contact information at the end of your bio. It’s not necessary if that information is available elsewhere on the page , though.

Entry-Level Job-Seeker Bio Example

Mitchell Morrison is an upcoming video producer and editor who believes in the art of visual organization. He is a recent graduate from the University of Washington and focused on post-production during his time studying there. He was introduced to the magical world of visual art production by watching his father work on editing commercials growing up and has been working towards his dream of becoming a video editor ever since. During his last year of college, Mitchell participated in a competitive internship with Digital Space Films. He was chosen out of 2,000 applicants based on his academic portfolio and personal statement essay. This internship was an incredible learning experience and resulted in three professional accreditations for music video editing. Mitchell currently lives in Seattle, Washington pursuing freelance opportunities and spending time with his Dog, Pikachu. To get into contact with Mitchell: MitchellMorrisonVideo.com/contact

Working Professional Website Bio Example

Lisa Kennedy is an experienced real estate professional. She knows how important a home is for long-term happiness and has invested her career in putting people in the house they’ve always dreamed of. Lisa was driven to pursue real estate from her passion for helping people during life-altering times, and a keen interest in high-end, luxury homes. She’s been working in the real estate industry for ten years and in that time has assisted over 3,500 people in finding homes. She was educated at the University of Los Angeles with a bachelor’s in business management. She’s worked for some of the most respectable Real Estate companies in Los Angeles and individually under her agency “Kennedy Homes.” Lisa has also been published in Real Estate Quarterly Magazine as the 2017 winner of the “Top Luxury Home Seller” award. Lisa loves the culture of Los Angeles and has been living there with her family of five since she graduated from college. She enjoys spending her free time exploring towns along the West Coast and swimming. If you’d like to get in touch with Lisa: Email: [email protected]

Professional Networking Profile Bio Example

Bianca Jones Marketing Manager Miami, FL The first step towards customer satisfaction is being reached by stellar product marketing, and that’s what I aim to provide. My professional experience as a product marketing manager has allowed me to assist many organizations in improving their sales margins and audience response to emerging products. I’ve brought dedication and positive results to the companies I’ve worked for because I am passionate about product perception, marketing, and business statistics. What drives a product to success interests and inspires me. I specialize in long-term growth strategies and audience outreach. In addition to eight years of experience in professional product marketing, I have also published two books on creating a career as a marketer called “What to Do After Your Bachelor’s” and “A Marketer’s How-To.” If you’re interested in learning more about how to market your business better, or just discuss more, feel free to contact me by email at [email protected].

Your first choice is whether you want your bio to be written in the third person or first person. These short bio templates show both options, and also include different ideas for what to include, and how. Feel free to pick and choose your favorite parts of each of the two.

[Full Name] is a [job title] who [believes/knows] in the power of [what you do]. [He/She/They] began their journey in [field] by [how you got started in the field], and now dreams of [what you hope to accomplish]. [His/Her/Their] biggest accomplishment to date has been [your biggest accomplishment]. [Full Name] lives in [where you live] and participates in [a hobby/interest]. To get in touch with [Full Name], call/email/message me on [how you’d like to be contacted].

I am a [job title] who helps [who you help] [what you help them do]. It’s my belief that [your unique perspective on the field]. In the past [# of years] years, I’ve [major accomplishment #1] through [how you accomplished it]. I have a passion for [your professional passion], but on the side, I also enjoy [personal passion]. Get in touch with me today at [contact info] — I look forward to talking with you about [what you want to talk to your readers about].

You have a firm grasp of the structure of a short bio and what to include. Now, you may need some tips for how to polish your short professional bio and make it stand out from the competition.

Be mindful of length. While you’re probably getting sick of hearing that your bio should be short, it’s good to keep in mind throughout the writing process. It’s easy to go off on a tangent while trying to include everything relevant or rationalize, making your bio too long.

Avoid this impulse. The point of a bio is that it’s limited. You want to intrigue the reader enough to inspire them to seek more information about you or your services.

Tailor your bio to your intended audience. Whether you’re using a short bio to attract a particular customer base or potential employer, tailoring it to fit their wants and needs is crucial. Consider your intended audience base and what they’re looking for in a candidate or service.

Be genuine. Your short bio should be an authentic representation of your traits, experience, and personality. People are repelled by what they interpret as stretching the truth. If you’re being received as disingenuous by the reader, they’ll probably move on.

Proofread. The only way to steer clear of errors in your short bio is by proofreading it. Imagine a hiring manager being completely interested in your bio.

They love what you have to say about yourself and find your prior experience enticing. That is, until they come across a mistake that clearly shows you didn’t do proofread or edit.

Include links to your portfolio, website, or networking profile. One way to circumvent the confining factor of keeping your bio short is by including links to more detailed sources.

This can be in the form of linking your portfolio or website to allow the reader to go deeper into your discussed skills if they please, without taking up more space in your bio.

Implement these links seamlessly into your bio by attaching them to anchor words that describe what clicking will lead them to.

Add some personality. You aren’t the only person who has an impressive list of accomplishments to put on a bio, so you’re going to need to find some additional ways to make an impression.

What should a short bio include?

A short bio should include your name, what you do, and your achievements. You should also include your company or product’s brand, if you have one, and your goals and motivations for doing what you do. This humanizes you and helps you stand out from the rest of the pack.

How long is a short bio?

A short bio is typically one to three paragraphs long. These should be short paragraphs though, as other experts say that between four and eight sentences is the ideal length for a short bio.

What makes a good bio?

A good bio is succinct and memorable. Readers don’t want to spend long reading about your professional and personal life, so go back and cut it down to the important parts multiple times after you draft it. You might be surprised at how little you actually need to include.

What should you avoid putting in a short bio?

You should avoid including anything negative or arrogate. It’s never a good idea to write anything negative about previous jobs or employers. Only include positive things in your professional short bio.

It’s important to include your achievements in a short bio, but there is a fine line between mentioning your achievements and bragging about them. Stick to the facts when talking about your accomplishments.

Fremont University – Building Your Professional Bio

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.

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How to Write a Biography

Learn how to write a biography with our comprehensive guide.

Last updated on Dec 8th, 2023

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Table of Contents

How to write a biography can be a fun challenge as you share someone’s life story with readers. You may need to write a biography for a class or decide to write a biography as a personal project. Once you’ve identified the subject of your biography, do your research to learn as much as you can about them. Then, immerse yourself in writing the biography and revising it until it’s best. What I am going to share with you in today’s post is how to write a biography. If you want to know the rules of how to write a biography correctly then this post of ours is essential for you. 

Introduction

While it’s true that most biographies involve people in the public eye, sometimes the subject is less well-known. But most of the time, famous or not, the person we’re talking about has an incredible life. Although your students may have a basic understanding of How to write a biography, you should take some time before putting pen to paper to come up with a very clear definition of biography.

Before knowing how to write a biography, let’s first understand what a biography is. A biography is an account of a person’s life written by someone else. Although there is a genre called fictional biography, by definition biographies are mostly non-fiction. In general, biographies trace the subject’s life from early childhood to the present day or until death if the subject is deceased. 

Biography writing is not limited to describing the bare facts of a person’s life. Instead of just listing basic details about their upbringing, interests, education, work, relationships, and deaths, a well-written biography should also paint a picture of a person’s personality as well as that person’s life experiences.

Tips and Tricks For How To Write a Biography

1. ask the subject’s permission to write a biography.

Here are the first tips on how to write a biography. Before starting your research, make sure you get your subject’s consent to write their biography. Ask them if they’re ready to be the subject. Getting their permission will make writing a biography much easier and ensure that they are open to information about their lives.

If the theme does not allow you to write a bio, you can choose another theme. If you decide to publish a profile without the subject’s permission, you may be subject to legal action from the subject. 

If the topic no longer exists, you don’t need to ask permission to write about them. 

2. Research primary sources on the topic

Primary sources may include books, letters, photographs, diaries, newspaper clippings, magazines, Internet articles, magazines, videos, interviews, existing biographies, or autobiographies on the subject. Find these resources in your local library or online. Read as much as you can about the topic and highlight any important information you come across in your sources. 

You can create research questions to help you focus your research on this topic, such as: 

What do I find interesting about this topic? Why is this topic important to readers? 

3. Conduct interviews with subjects and their relatives

Interviewing people will turn your research into reality: the people you interview will be able to tell you stories you can’t find in history books. Interview the subject as well as people close to them, such as spouses, friends, business associates, family members, co-workers, and friends. Interview in person, over the phone, or via email.

For in-person interviews, record them with a voice recorder or voice recorder on your computer or phone. You may need to interview the subject and others multiple times to get the documents you need.

4. Visit places important to the topic

Whenever you want to know how to write a biography, to understand the history of the subject, spend time in places and areas that are significant to the subject. This may be the subject’s childhood home or neighborhood. You can also visit the subject’s workplace and regular meeting places. 

You may also want to visit areas where the subject made important decisions or breakthroughs in their life. Being physically present in the area can give you an idea of what your subjects may have felt and help you write about their experiences more effectively.

5. Research the time and place of the subject’s life

Contextualize your subject’s life by observing what’s going on around them. Consider the period in which they grew up as well as the history of the places they lived. Study the economics, politics, and culture of their time. See current events happening where they live or work.

When you studying how to write a biography, ask yourself about time and place: 

What were the social norms of this period? 

What happened economically and politically? 

How has the political and social environment influenced this topic?

6. Make a timeline of a person’s life

To help you organize your research, create a timeline of a person’s entire life, from birth. Draw a long line on a piece of paper and sketch out as many details about a person’s life as possible. Highlight important events or moments on the timeline. Include important dates, locations, and names. 

If you think about how to write a biography You can also include historical events or moments that affect the topic in the timeline. For example, a conflict or civil war may occur during a person’s lifetime and affect their life.

7. Focus on important events and milestones

Major events can include marriage, birth, or death during a person’s lifetime. They may also achieve milestones like their first successful business venture or their first civil rights march. Highlights key moments in a person’s life so readers clearly understand what’s important to that person and how they influence the world around them.

For example, you might focus on one person’s achievements in the civil rights movement. You could write an entire section about their contributions and participation in major civil rights marches in their hometowns.

8. Cite all sources used in  biography

Most biographies will include information from sources such as books, journal articles, magazines, and interviews. Remember to cite any sources that you directly quote or paraphrase. You can use citations, footnotes, or endnotes. If the biography is for a course, use MLA, APA, or Chicago Style citations according to your instructor’s preference.

9. Reread the biography

Check the biography for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Circle all punctuation marks in the text to confirm they are correct. Read the text backward to check for spelling and grammar errors. 

Having a biography full of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors can frustrate readers and lead to poor grades if you submit your work to the class.

10. Show your biography to others to get their feedback

It is a momentous step of how to write a biography. Once you have completed your draft biography, show it to your colleagues, friends, teachers, and mentors to get their feedback. Ask them if they have a good understanding of someone’s life and if the biography is easy to read. Be open to feedback so you can improve the biography and make it error-free. Revise profile based on feedback from others. Don’t be afraid to trim or edit your biography to suit your readers’ needs.

11. Use flashbacks

Flashbacks happen when you move from the present to the past. You can start with the present moment, and then bring in a scene from the person’s past. Or you could have one chapter focusing on the present and one focusing on the past, alternating as you go.

The flashback scene must be as detailed and realistic as the present-day scene. Use your research notes and interviews with subjects to better understand their past to reminisce. 

For example, you can move from a person’s death in the present to reminiscing about their favorite childhood memory.

12. Outline Your Story Chronologically 

This is another important step in how to write a biography is to write an outline that describes your story in chronological order. An outline is a tool that helps you visualize the structure and key elements of your story. This can help you organize your story into chapters and sections. 

You can write your plan in a digital document or draw it with pen and paper. Remember to store your outline in an easily accessible place so you can refer to it throughout the writing process.

What citation style should I use for my biography?

Use MLA, APA, or Chicago Style citations based on your instructor’s preference when citing sources in your biography.

Should I include personal opinions in a biography?

No, a biography should be objective and based on facts. Avoid injecting personal opinions or bias into the narrative.

What’s the difference between a biography and an autobiography?

A biography is written by someone else about a person’s life, while an autobiography is written by the subject themselves about their own life.

Can I write a biography about a living person?

Yes, you can write a biography about a living person with their consent. Ensure you respect their privacy and follow ethical guidelines when writing about them.

Conclusion 

Other than creating a sense of closure, there are no set rules about how a biography ends. An author may want to summarize their main points about the subject of their biography. If the person is still alive, the author can inform the reader about their condition or circumstances. If the person has died, inheritance can be discussed. Authors can also remind readers how they can learn from the biographical subject. Sharing a closing quote or about a person can leave the audience with a point to consider or discuss in more detail.

For further insights into writing and to avoid common mistakes, check out our article on Most Common Mistakes in Writing . Additionally, explore the Best Writing Tools for Writers to enhance your writing skills and discover the tools that can assist you. If you’re looking to improve your typing speed and accuracy, our article on How to Type Faster with Accuracy offers valuable tips.

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From time to time, nonfiction authors become so captivated by a particular figure from either the present or the past, that they feel compelled to write an entire book about their life. Whether casting them as heroes or villains, there is an interesting quality in their humanity that compels these authors to revisit their life paths and write their story.

However, portraying someone’s life on paper in a comprehensive and engaging way requires solid preparation. If you’re looking to write a biography yourself, in this post we’ll share a step-by-step blueprint that you can follow. 

How to write a biography: 

1. Seek permission when possible 

2. research your subject thoroughly, 3. do interviews and visit locations, 4. organize your findings, 5. identify a central thesis, 6. write it using narrative elements, 7. get feedback and polish the text.

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Craft a satisfying story arc for your biography with our free template.

While you technically don’t need permission to write about public figures (or deceased ones), that doesn't guarantee their legal team won't pursue legal action against you. Author Kitty Kelley was sued by Frank Sinatra before she even started to write His Way , a biography that paints Ol Blue Eyes in a controversial light. (Kelley ended up winning the lawsuit, however).  

Whenever feasible, advise the subject’s representatives of your intentions. If all goes according to plan, you’ll get a green light to proceed, or potentially an offer to collaborate. It's a matter of common sense; if someone were to write a book about you, you would likely want to know about it well prior to publication. So, make a sincere effort to reach out to their PR staff to negotiate an agreement or at least a mutual understanding of the scope of your project. 

At the same time, make sure that you still retain editorial control over the project, and not end up writing a puff piece that treats its protagonist like a saint or hero. No biography can ever be entirely objective, but you should always strive for a portrayal that closely aligns with facts and reality.

If you can’t get an answer from your subject, or you’re asked not to proceed forward, you can still accept the potential repercussions and write an unauthorized biography . The “rebellious act” of publishing without consent indeed makes for great marketing, though it’ll likely bring more headaches with it too. 

✋ Please note that, like other nonfiction books, if you intend to release your biography with a publishing house , you can put together a book proposal to send to them before you even write the book. If they like it enough, they might pay you an advance to write it.  

Book Proposal Template

Craft a professional pitch for your nonfiction book with our handy template.

Once you’ve settled (or not) the permission part, it’s time to dive deep into your character’s story.  

Deep and thorough research skills are the cornerstone of every biographer worth their salt. To paint a vivid and accurate portrait of someone's life, you’ll have to gather qualitative information from a wide range of reliable sources. 

Start with the information already available, from books on your subject to archival documents, then collect new ones firsthand by interviewing people or traveling to locations. 

Browse the web and library archives

Put your researcher hat on and start consuming any piece on your subject you can find, from their Wikipedia page to news articles, interviews, TV and radio appearances, YouTube videos, podcasts, books, magazines, and any other media outlets they may have been featured in. 

Establish a system to orderly collect the information you find 一 even seemingly insignificant details can prove valuable during the writing process, so be sure to save them. 

Depending on their era, you may find most of the information readily available online, or you may need to search through university libraries for older references. 

For his landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow spent untold hours at Columbia University’s library , reading through the Hamilton family papers, visiting the New York Historical Society, as well as interviewing the archivist of the New York Stock Exchange, and so on. The research process took years, but it certainly paid off. Chernow discovered that Hamilton created the first five securities originally traded on Wall Street. This finding, among others, revealed his significant contributions to shaping the current American financial and political systems, a legacy previously often overshadowed by other founding fathers. Today Alexander Hamilton is one of the best-selling biographies of all time, and it has become a cultural phenomenon with its own dedicated musical. 

Besides reading documents about your subject, research can help you understand the world that your subject lived in. 

Try to understand their time and social environment

Many biographies show how their protagonists have had a profound impact on society through their philosophical, artistic, or scientific contributions. But at the same time, it’s worth it as a biographer to make an effort to understand how their societal and historical context influenced their life’s path and work.

An interesting example is Stephen Greenblatt’s Will in the World . Finding himself limited by a lack of verified detail surrounding William Shakespeare's personal life, Greenblatt, instead, employs literary interpretation and imaginative reenactments to transport readers back to the Elizabethan era. The result is a vivid (though speculative) depiction of the playwright's life, enriching our understanding of his world.

Many readers enjoy biographies that transport them to a time and place, so exploring a historical period through the lens of a character can be entertaining in its own right. The Diary of Samuel Pepys became a classic not because people were enthralled by his life as an administrator, but rather from his meticulous and vivid documentation of everyday existence during the Restoration period.

Once you’ve gotten your hands on as many secondary sources as you can find, you’ll want to go hunting for stories first-hand from people who are (or were) close to your subject.

With all the material you’ve been through, by now you should already have a pretty good picture of your protagonist. But you’ll surely have some curiosities and missing dots in their character arc to figure out, which you can only get by interviewing primary sources.

Interview friends and associates

This part is more relevant if your subject is contemporary, and you can actually meet up or call with relatives, friends, colleagues, business partners, neighbors, or any other person related to them. 

In writing the popular biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson interviewed more than one hundred people, including Jobs’s family, colleagues, former college mates, business rivals, and the man himself.

🔍 Read other biographies to get a sense of what makes a great one. Check out our list of the 30 best biographies of all time , or take our 30-second quiz below for tips on which one you should read next. 

Which biography should you read next?

Discover the perfect biography for you. Takes 30 seconds!

When you conduct your interviews, make sure to record them with high quality audio you can revisit later. Then use tools like Otter.ai or Descript to transcribe them 一 it’ll save you countless hours. 

You can approach the interview with a specific set of questions, or follow your curiosity blindly, trying to uncover revealing stories and anecdotes about your subject. Whatever your method, author and biography editor Tom Bromley suggests that every interviewer arrives prepared, "Show that you’ve done your work. This will help to put the interviewee at ease, and get their best answers.” 

Bromley also places emphasis on the order in which you conduct interviews. “You may want to interview different members of the family or friends first, to get their perspective on something, and then go directly to the main interviewee. You'll be able to use that knowledge to ask sharper, more specific questions.” 

Finally, consider how much time you have with each interviewee. If you only have a 30-minute phone call with an important person, make it count by asking directly the most pressing questions you have. And, if you find a reliable source who is also particularly willing to help, conduct several interviews and ask them, if appropriate, to write a foreword as part of the book’s front matter .

Sometimes an important part of the process is packing your bags, getting on a plane, and personally visiting significant places in your character’s journey.

Visit significant places in their life

A place, whether that’s a city, a rural house, or a bodhi tree, can carry a particular energy that you can only truly experience by being there. In putting the pieces together about someone’s life, it may be useful to go visit where they grew up, or where other significant events of their lives happened. It will be easier to imagine what they experienced, and better tell their story. 

In researching The Lost City of Z , author David Grann embarked on a trek through the Amazon, retracing the steps of British explorer Percy Fawcett. This led Grann to develop new theories about the circumstances surrounding the explorer's disappearance.

Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with jaguars and anacondas to better understand your subject’s environment, but try to walk into their shoes as much as possible. 

Once you’ve researched your character enough, it’s time to put together all the puzzle pieces you collected so far. 

Take the bulk of notes, media, and other documents you’ve collected, and start to give them some order and structure. A simple way to do this is by creating a timeline. 

Create a chronological timeline

It helps to organize your notes chronologically 一 from childhood to the senior years, line up the most significant events of your subject’s life, including dates, places, names and other relevant bits. 

You should be able to divide their life into distinct periods, each with their unique events and significance. Based on that, you can start drafting an outline of the narrative you want to create.  

Draft a story outline 

Since a biography entails writing about a person’s entire life, it will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can pick where you want to end the story, depending on how consequential the last years of your subject were. But the nature of the work will give you a starting character arc to work with. 

To outline the story then, you could turn to the popular Three-Act Structure , which divides the narrative in three main parts. In a nutshell, you’ll want to make sure to have the following:

• Act 1. Setup : Introduce the protagonist's background and the turning points that set them on a path to achieve a goal. 
• Act 2. Confrontation : Describe the challenges they encounter, both internal and external, and how they rise to them. Then..
• Act 3. Resolution : Reach a climactic point in their story in which they succeed (or fail), showing how they (and the world around them) have changed as a result. 

Only one question remains before you begin writing: what will be the main focus of your biography?

Think about why you’re so drawn to your subject to dedicate years of your life to recounting their own. What aspect of their life do you want to highlight? Is it their evil nature, artistic genius, or visionary mindset? And what evidence have you got to back that up? Find a central thesis or focus to weave as the main thread throughout your narrative. 

Or find a unique angle

If you don’t have a particular theme to explore, finding a distinct angle on your subject’s story can also help you distinguish your work from other biographies or existing works on the same subject.

Plenty of biographies have been published about The Beatles 一 many of which have different focuses and approaches: 

• Philip Norman's Shout is sometimes regarded as leaning more towards a pro-Lennon and anti-McCartney stance, offering insights into the band's inner dynamics. 
• Ian McDonald's Revolution in the Head closely examines their music track by track, shifting the focus back to McCartney as a primary creative force. 
• Craig Brown's One Two Three Four aims to capture their story through anecdotes, fan letters, diary entries, and interviews. 
• Mark Lewisohn's monumental three-volume biography, Tune In , stands as a testament to over a decade of meticulous research, chronicling every intricate detail of the Beatles' journey.

Finally, consider that biographies are often more than recounting the life of a person. Similar to how Dickens’ Great Expectations is not solely about a boy named Pip (but an examination and critique of Britain’s fickle, unforgiving class system), a biography should strive to illuminate a broader truth — be it social, political, or human — beyond the immediate subject of the book. 

Once you’ve identified your main focus or angle, it’s time to write a great story. 

While biographies are often highly informative, they do not have to be dry and purely expository in nature . You can play with storytelling elements to make it an engaging read. 

You could do that by thoroughly detailing the setting of the story , depicting the people involved in the story as fully-fledged characters , or using rising action and building to a climax when describing a particularly significant milestone of the subject’s life. 

One common way to make a biography interesting to read is starting on a strong foot…

Hook the reader from the start

Just because you're honoring your character's whole life doesn't mean you have to begin when they said their first word. Starting from the middle or end of their life can be more captivating as it introduces conflicts and stakes that shaped their journey.

When he wrote about Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild , author Jon Krakauer didn’t open his subject’s childhood and abusive family environment. Instead, the book begins with McCandless hitchhiking his way into the wilderness, and subsequently being discovered dead in an abandoned bus. By starting in medias res , Krakauer hooks the reader’s interest, before tracing back the causes and motivations that led McCandless to die alone in that bus in the first place.

You can bend the timeline to improve the reader’s reading experience throughout the rest of the story too…

Play with flashback 

While biographies tend to follow a chronological narrative, you can use flashbacks to tell brief stories or anecdotes when appropriate. For example, if you were telling the story of footballer Lionel Messi, before the climax of winning the World Cup with Argentina, you could recall when he was just 13 years old, giving an interview to a local newspaper, expressing his lifelong dream of playing for the national team. 

Used sparsely and intentionally, flashbacks can add more context to the story and keep the narrative interesting. Just like including dialogue does…

Reimagine conversations

Recreating conversations that your subject had with people around them is another effective way to color the story. Dialogue helps the reader imagine the story like a movie, providing a deeper sensory experience. 

One thing is trying to articulate the root of Steve Jobs’ obsession with product design, another would be to quote his father , teaching him how to build a fence when he was young: “You've got to make the back of the fence just as good looking as the front of the fence. Even though nobody will see it, you will know. And that will show that you're dedicated to making something perfect.”

Unlike memoirs and autobiographies, in which the author tells the story from their personal viewpoint and enjoys greater freedom to recall conversations, biographies require a commitment to facts. So, when recreating dialogue, try to quote directly from reliable sources like personal diaries, emails, and text messages. You could also use your interview scripts as an alternative to dialogue. As Tom Bromley suggests, “If you talk with a good amount of people, you can try to tell the story from their perspective, interweaving different segments and quoting the interviewees directly.”

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These are just some of the story elements you can use to make your biography more compelling. Once you’ve finished your manuscript, it’s a good idea to ask for feedback. 

If you’re going to self-publish your biography, you’ll have to polish it to professional standards. After leaving your work to rest for a while, look at it with fresh eyes and self-edit your manuscript eliminating passive voice, filler words, and redundant adverbs. 

Then, have a professional editor give you a general assessment. They’ll look at the structure and shape of your manuscript and tell you which parts need to be expanded on or cut. As someone who edited and commissioned several biographies, Tom Bromley points out that a professional “will look at the sources used and assess whether they back up the points made, or if more are needed. They would also look for context, and whether or not more background information is needed for the reader to understand the story fully. And they might check your facts, too.”  

In addition to structural editing, you may want to have someone copy-edit and proofread your work.

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Importantly, make sure to include a bibliography with a list of all the interviews, documents, and sources used in the writing process. You’ll have to compile it according to a manual of style, but you can easily create one by using tools like EasyBib . Once the text is nicely polished and typeset in your writing software , you can prepare for the publication process.  

In conclusion, by mixing storytelling elements with diligent research, you’ll be able to breathe life into a powerful biography that immerses readers in another individual’s life experience. Whether that’ll spark inspiration or controversy, remember you could have an important role in shaping their legacy 一 and that’s something not to take lightly. 

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How to Write a Biography

Biographies are big business. Whether in book form or Hollywood biopics, the lives of the famous and sometimes not-so-famous fascinate us.

While it’s true that most biographies are about people who are in the public eye, sometimes the subject is less well-known. Primarily, though, famous or not, the person who is written about has led an incredible life.

In this article, we will explain biography writing in detail for teachers and students so they can create their own.

While your students will most likely have a basic understanding of a biography, it’s worth taking a little time before they put pen to paper to tease out a crystal-clear definition of one.

What Is a Biography?

A biography is an account of someone’s life written by someone else . While there is a genre known as a fictional biography, for the most part, biographies are, by definition, nonfiction.

Generally speaking, biographies provide an account of the subject’s life from the earliest days of childhood to the present day or, if the subject is deceased, their death.

The job of a biography is more than just to outline the bare facts of a person’s life.

Rather than just listing the basic details of their upbringing, hobbies, education, work, relationships, and death, a well-written biography should also paint a picture of the subject’s personality and experience of life.

Full Biographies

Teaching unit.

Teach your students everything they need to know about writing an AUTOBIOGRAPHY and a BIOGRAPHY.

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Features of a Biography

Before students begin writing a biography, they’ll need to have a firm grasp of the main features of a Biography. An excellent way to determine how well they understand these essential elements is to ask them to compile a checklist like the one-blow

Their checklists should contain the items below at a minimum. Be sure to help them fill in any gaps before moving on to the writing process.

The purpose of a biography is to provide an account of someone’s life.

Biography structure.

ORIENTATION (BEGINNING) Open your biography with a strong hook to grab the reader’s attention

SEQUENCING: In most cases, biographies are written in chronological order unless you are a very competent writer consciously trying to break from this trend.

COVER: childhood, upbringing, education, influences, accomplishments, relationships, etc. – everything that helps the reader to understand the person.

CONCLUSION: Wrap your biography up with some details about what the subject is doing now if they are still alive. If they have passed away, make mention of what impact they have made and what their legacy is or will be.

BIOGRAPHY FEATURES

LANGUAGE Use descriptive and figurative language that will paint images inside your audience’s minds as they read. Use time connectives to link events.

PERSPECTIVE Biographies are written from the third person’s perspective.

DETAILS: Give specific details about people, places, events, times, dates, etc. Reflect on how events shaped the subject. You might want to include some relevant photographs with captions. A timeline may also be of use depending upon your subject and what you are trying to convey to your audience.

TENSE Written in the past tense (though ending may shift to the present/future tense)

THE PROCESS OF WRITING A BIOGRAPHY

Like any form of writing, you will find it simple if you have a plan and follow it through. These steps will ensure you cover the essential bases of writing a biography essay.

Firstly, select a subject that inspires you. Someone whose life story resonates with you and whose contribution to society intrigues you. The next step is to conduct thorough research. Engage in extensive reading, explore various sources, watch documentaries, and glean all available information to provide a comprehensive account of the person’s life.

Creating an outline is essential to organize your thoughts and information. The outline should include the person’s early life, education, career, achievements, and any other significant events or contributions. It serves as a map for the writing process, ensuring that all vital information is included.

Your biography should have an engaging introduction that captivates the reader’s attention and provides background information on the person you’re writing about. It should include a thesis statement summarising the biography’s main points.

Writing a biography in chronological order is crucial . You should begin with the person’s early life and move through their career and achievements. This approach clarifies how the person’s life unfolded and how they accomplished their goals.

A biography should be written in a narrative style , capturing the essence of the person’s life through vivid descriptions, anecdotes, and quotes. Avoid dry, factual writing and focus on creating a compelling narrative that engages the reader.

Adding personal insights and opinions can enhance the biography’s overall impact, providing a unique perspective on the person’s achievements, legacy, and impact on society.

Editing and proofreading are vital elements of the writing process. Thoroughly reviewing your biography ensures that the writing is clear, concise, and error-free. You can even request feedback from someone else to ensure that it is engaging and well-written.

Finally, including a bibliography at the end of your biography is essential. It gives credit to the sources that were used during research, such as books, articles, interviews, and websites.

Tips for Writing a Brilliant Biography

Biography writing tip #1: choose your subject wisely.

There are several points for students to reflect on when deciding on a subject for their biography. Let’s take a look at the most essential points to consider when deciding on the subject for a biography:

Interest: To produce a biography will require sustained writing from the student. That’s why students must choose their subject well. After all, a biography is an account of someone’s entire life to date. Students must ensure they choose a subject that will sustain their interest throughout the research, writing, and editing processes.

Merit: Closely related to the previous point, students must consider whether the subject merits the reader’s interest. Aside from pure labors of love, writing should be undertaken with the reader in mind. While producing a biography demands sustained writing from the author, it also demands sustained reading from the reader.

Therefore, students should ask themselves if their chosen subject has had a life worthy of the reader’s interest and the time they’d need to invest in reading their biography.

Information: Is there enough information available on the subject to fuel the writing of an entire biography? While it might be a tempting idea to write about a great-great-grandfather’s experience in the war. There would be enough interest there to sustain the author’s and the reader’s interest, but do you have enough access to information about their early childhood to do the subject justice in the form of a biography?

Biography Writing Tip #2: R esearch ! Research! Research!

While the chances are good that the student already knows quite a bit about the subject they’ve chosen. Chances are 100% that they’ll still need to undertake considerable research to write their biography.

As with many types of writing , research is an essential part of the planning process that shouldn’t be overlooked. If students wish to give as complete an account of their subject’s life as possible, they’ll need to put in the time at the research stage.

An effective way to approach the research process is to:

1. Compile a chronological timeline of the central facts, dates, and events of the subject’s life

2. Compile detailed descriptions of the following personal traits:

•      Physical looks
•      Character traits
•      Values and beliefs

3. Compile some research questions based on different topics to provide a focus for the research:

• Childhood : Where and when were they born? Who were their parents? Who were the other family members? What education did they receive?
• Obstacles: What challenges did they have to overcome? How did these challenges shape them as individuals?
• Legacy: What impact did this person have on the world and/or the people around them?
• Dialogue & Quotes: Dialogue and quotations by and about the subject are a great way to bring color and life to a biography. Students should keep an eagle eye out for the gems that hide amid their sources.

As the student gets deeper into their research, new questions will arise that can further fuel the research process and help to shape the direction the biography will ultimately go in.

Likewise, during the research, themes will often begin to suggest themselves. Exploring these themes is essential to bring depth to biography, but we’ll discuss this later in this article.

Research Skills:

Researching for biography writing is an excellent way for students to hone their research skills in general. Developing good research skills is essential for future academic success. Students will have opportunities to learn how to:

• Gather relevant information
• Evaluate different information sources
• Select suitable information
• Organize information into a text.

Students will have access to print and online information sources, and, in some cases, they may also have access to people who knew or know the subject (e.g. biography of a family member).

These days, much of the research will likely take place online. It’s crucial, therefore, to provide your students with guidance on how to use the internet safely and evaluate online sources for reliability. This is the era of ‘ fake news ’ and misinformation after all!

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⭐ How to filter and refine your results to find exactly what you want every time.

⭐ Essential Research and critical thinking skills for students.

⭐ Plagiarism, Citing and acknowledging other people’s work.

⭐ How to query, synthesize and record your findings logically.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip #3: Find Your Themes In Biography Writing

Though predominantly a nonfiction genre, the story still plays a significant role in good biography writing. The skills of characterization and plot structuring are transferable here. And, just like in fiction, exploring themes in a biographical work helps connect the personal to the universal. Of course, these shouldn’t be forced; this will make the work seem contrived, and the reader may lose faith in the truthfulness of the account. A biographer needs to gain and maintain the trust of the reader.

Fortunately, themes shouldn’t need to be forced. A life well-lived is full of meaning, and the themes the student writer is looking for will emerge effortlessly from the actions and events of the subject’s life. It’s just a case of learning how to spot them.

One way to identify the themes in a life is to look for recurring events or situations in a person’s life. These should be apparent from the research completed previously. The students should seek to identify these patterns that emerge in the subject’s life. For example, perhaps they’ve had to overcome various obstacles throughout different periods of their life. In that case, the theme of overcoming adversity is present and has been identified.

Usually, a biography has several themes running throughout, so be sure your students work to identify more than one theme in their subject’s life.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip: #4 Put Something of Yourself into the Writing

While the defining feature of a biography is that it gives an account of a person’s life, students must understand that this is not all a biography does. Relating the facts and details of a subject’s life is not enough. The student biographer should not be afraid to share their thoughts and feelings with the reader throughout their account of their subject’s life.

The student can weave some of their personality into the fabric of the text by providing commentary and opinion as they relate the events of the person’s life and the wider social context at the time. Unlike the detached and objective approach we’d expect to find in a history textbook, in a biography, student-writers should communicate their enthusiasm for their subject in their writing.

This makes for a more intimate experience for the reader, as they get a sense of getting to know the author and the subject they are writing about.

Biography Examples For Students

• Year 5 Example
• Year 7 Example
• Year 9 Example

“The Rock ‘n’ Roll King: Elvis Presley”

Elvis Aaron Presley, born on January 8, 1935, was an amazing singer and actor known as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Even though he’s been dead for nearly 50 years, I can’t help but be fascinated by his incredible life!

Elvis grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, in a tiny house with his parents and twin brother. His family didn’t have much money, but they shared a love for music. Little did they know Elvis would become a music legend!

When he was only 11 years old, Elvis got his first guitar. He taught himself to play and loved singing gospel songs. As he got older, he started combining different music styles like country, blues, and gospel to create a whole new sound – that’s Rock ‘n’ Roll!

In 1954, at the age of 19, Elvis recorded his first song, “That’s All Right.” People couldn’t believe how unique and exciting his music was. His famous hip-swinging dance moves also made him a sensation!

Elvis didn’t just rock the music scene; he also starred in movies like “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock.” But fame came with challenges. Despite facing ups and downs, Elvis kept spreading happiness through his music.

Tragically, Elvis passed away in 1977, but his music and charisma live on. Even today, people worldwide still enjoy his songs like “Hound Dog” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Elvis Presley’s legacy as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll will live forever.

Long Live the King: I wish I’d seen him.

Elvis Presley, the Rock ‘n’ Roll legend born on January 8, 1935, is a captivating figure that even a modern-day teen like me can’t help but admire. As I delve into his life, I wish I could have experienced the magic of his live performances.

Growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis faced challenges but found solace in music. At 11, he got his first guitar, a symbol of his journey into the world of sound. His fusion of gospel, country, and blues into Rock ‘n’ Roll became a cultural phenomenon.

The thought of being in the audience during his early performances, especially when he recorded “That’s All Right” at 19, sends shivers down my spine. Imagining the crowd’s uproar and feeling the revolutionary energy of that moment is a dream I wish I could have lived.

Elvis wasn’t just a musical prodigy; he was a dynamic performer. His dance moves, the embodiment of rebellion, and his roles in films like “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock” made him a true icon.

After watching him on YouTube, I can’t help but feel a little sad that I’ll never witness the King’s live performances. The idea of swaying to “Hound Dog” or being enchanted by “Can’t Help Falling in Love” in person is a missed opportunity. Elvis may have left us in 1977, but he was the king of rock n’ roll. Long live the King!

Elvis Presley: A Teen’s Take on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Icon”

Elvis Presley, born January 8, 1935, was a revolutionary force in the music world, earning his title as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Exploring his life, even as a 16-year-old today, I’m captivated by the impact he made.

Hailing from Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis grew up in humble beginnings, surrounded by the love of his parents and twin brother. It’s inspiring to think that, despite financial challenges, this young man would redefine the music scene.

At 11, Elvis got his first guitar, sparking a self-taught journey into music. His early gospel influences evolved into a unique fusion of country, blues, and gospel, creating the electrifying genre of Rock ‘n’ Roll. In 1954, at only 19, he recorded “That’s All Right,” marking the birth of a musical legend.

Elvis wasn’t just a musical innovator; he was a cultural phenomenon. His rebellious dance moves and magnetic stage presence challenged the norms. He transitioned seamlessly into acting, starring in iconic films like “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock.”

However, fame came at a cost, and Elvis faced personal struggles. Despite the challenges, his music continued to resonate. Even now, classics like “Hound Dog” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” transcend generations.

Elvis Presley’s impact on music and culture is undeniable. He was known for his unique voice, charismatic persona, and electrifying performances. He sold over one billion records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling solo artists in history. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including three Grammy Awards and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Elvis’s influence can still be seen in today’s music. Many contemporary artists, such as Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, and Justin Timberlake, have cited Elvis as an inspiration. His music continues to be featured in movies, TV shows, and commercials.

Elvis left us in 1977, but his legacy lives on. I appreciate his breaking barriers and fearlessly embracing his artistic vision. Elvis Presley’s impact on music and culture is timeless, a testament to the enduring power of his artistry. His music has inspired generations and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING TEACHING IDEAS AND LESSONS

We have compiled a sequence of biography-related lessons or teaching ideas that you can follow as you please. They are straightforward enough for most students to follow without further instruction.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 1:

This session aims to give students a broader understanding of what makes a good biography.

Once your students have compiled a comprehensive checklist of the main features of a biography, allow them to use it to assess some biographies from your school library or on the internet using the feature checklist.

When students have assessed a selection of biographies, take some time as a class to discuss them. You can base the discussion around the following prompts:

• Which biographies covered all the criteria from their checklist?
• Which biographies didn’t?
• Which biography was the most readable in terms of structure?
• Which biography do you think was the least well-structured? How would you improve this?

Looking at how other writers have interpreted the form will help students internalize the necessary criteria before attempting to produce a biography. Once students have a clear understanding of the main features of the biography, they’re ready to begin work on writing a biography.

When the time does come to put pen to paper, be sure they’re armed with the following top tips to help ensure they’re as well prepared as possible.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 2:

This session aims to guide students through the process of selecting the perfect biography subject.

Instruct students to draw up a shortlist of three potential subjects for the biography they’ll write.

Using the three criteria mentioned in the writing guide (Interest, Merit, and Information), students award each potential subject a mark out of 5 for each of the criteria. In this manner, students can select the most suitable subject for their biography.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 3:

This session aims to get students into the researching phase, then prioritise and organise events chronologically.

Students begin by making a timeline of their subject’s life, starting with their birth and ending with their death or the present day. If the student has yet to make a final decision on the subject of their biography, a family member will often serve well for this exercise as a practice exercise.

Students should research and gather the key events of the person’s life, covering each period of their life from when they were a baby, through childhood and adolescence, right up to adulthood and old age. They should then organize these onto a timeline. Students can include photographs with captions if they have them.

They can present these to the class when they have finished their timelines.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 4:

Instruct students to look over their timeline, notes, and other research. Challenge them to identify three patterns that repeat throughout the subject’s life and sort all the related events and incidents into specific categories.

Students should then label each category with a single word. This is the thematic concept or the broad general underlying idea. After that, students should write a sentence or two expressing what the subject’s life ‘says’ about that concept.

This is known as the thematic statement . With the thematic concepts and thematic statements identified, the student now has some substantial ideas to explore that will help bring more profound meaning and wider resonance to their biography.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 5:

Instruct students to write a short objective account of an event in their own life. They can write about anyone from their past. It needn’t be more than a couple of paragraphs, but the writing should be strictly factual, focusing only on the objective details of what happened.

Once they have completed this, it’s time to rewrite the paragraph, but they should include some opinion and personal commentary this time.

The student here aims to inject some color and personality into their writing, to transform a detached, factual account into a warm, engaging story.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING BIOGRAPHIES

Teach your students to write AMAZING BIOGRAPHIES & AUTOBIOGRAPHIES using proven RESEARCH SKILLS and WRITING STRATEGIES .

• Understand the purpose of both forms of biography.
• Explore the language and perspective of both.
• Prompts and Challenges to engage students in writing a biography.
• Dedicated lessons for both forms of biography.
• Biographical Projects can expand students’ understanding of reading and writing a biography.
• A COMPLETE 82-PAGE UNIT – NO PREPARATION REQUIRED.

FREE Biography Writing Graphic Organizer

Use this valuable tool in the research and writing phases to keep your students on track and engaged.

WRITING CHECKLIST & RUBRIC BUNDLE

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To Conclude

By this stage, your students should have an excellent technical overview of a biography’s essential elements.

They should be able to choose their subject in light of how interesting and worthy they are, as well as give consideration to the availability of information out there. They should be able to research effectively and identify emerging themes in their research notes. And finally, they should be able to bring some of their personality and uniqueness into their retelling of the life of another.

Remember that writing a biography is not only a great way to develop a student’s writing skills; it can be used in almost all curriculum areas. For example, to find out more about a historical figure in History, to investigate scientific contributions to Science, or to celebrate a hero from everyday life.

Biography is an excellent genre for students to develop their writing skills and to find inspiration in the lives of others in the world around them.

HOW TO WRITE A BIOGRAPHY TUTORIAL VIDEO

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How to Write Engaging Personal & Professional Bios (with Examples)

Last Updated: August 24, 2023 Fact Checked

Writing Personal and Professional Bios

Writing student bios, making your bio stand out, sample bios.

This article was co-authored by Melody Godfred, JD and by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau . Melody Godfred is a Career Coach, Entrepreneur, and Founder of Write In Color, a full-service resume and career development company that specializes in developing compelling personal narratives and brands. With over ten years of experience, Melody has worked with clients at entertainment and media companies including Apple, Disney, Fox, Netflix, Riot Games, Viacom, and Warner Bros, among others. The Muse invited Melody and Write In Color to serve as one of its 30 trusted career counselors (out of 3,000) to provide one-on-one coaching and resume services to the platform's more than four million active users. Melody earned a JD from Loyola Marymount University and BS from the University of Southern California. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 5,725,417 times.

Personal bios are a great way to show people who you are and what you do. Whether writing a bio about yourself for a personal or professional website, a college application, or a social media account, bios are an important part of connecting with your audience or customer base. It’s important to take your time and be thoughtful as you write to ensure you get the right message across! Read on for a complete guide to writing a personal (or professional) bio about yourself, along with writing tips to make it as engaging as possible.

Things You Should Know

• Start with your first and last name in a quick introductory sentence. Then, explain your job, greatest achievements, and professional mission statement.
• Expand on personal details, including where you’re from, your educational background, and a quick summary of passions that aren’t related to your job.
• Mention any projects you’re working on and end the bio with your contact information. Write in the third-person perspective unless it’s for social media.

• The difference between personal and professional bios is all in the tone you use. Both cover your job and skills, but the bio you write for a personal website might sound less formal than the one you write for a job application.
• As you write your bio, adjust your tone to make your bio appropriately formal, funny, professional, or personal.
• If you can’t figure out what to write, check out bios from other people in your field and get a sense of their writing strategy. You can use their bios as models and write yours based on their overall structure.

• For example, begin a third-person bio with a sentence like, "Joann Smith is a graphic designer in Boston," and a first-person bio with "I am a graphic designer in Boston."

• For example, a simple yet solid introduction sentence could be, “Dan Keller is a columnist for the Boulder Times.”
• Avoid writing a nickname in your bio. Even if your bio isn’t strictly for professional use, it’s best to treat it like a formal introduction to other people.
• Be sure to mention your company or brand within your introduction. You might work for a company or own your own business with a personal brand.

• For example, “Dan Keller is a columnist for the Boulder Times. He specializes in writing public interest stories on the latest technology.
• Both personal and professional bios typically include job information; personal bios simply present that information a little more informally.
• If you’re writing about your job informally, you might write something like, “Joann Smith is a passionate knitter who also happens to own and run her paper supply company.”

• “Dan Keller is a columnist for the Boulder Times. His 2011 series "All that and More" earned him Boulder’s prestigious “Up-and-Comer” award for innovation.”
• Don’t make up accomplishments if you don’t have anything notable to add and only include achievements that relate to the career information or skills discussed in the bio.
• Avoid buzzwords like "innovative," "experienced," "creative," and so on, which are often so overused that they don’t mean anything to people. Show readers what you can do through specific details, not catchy phrases.

• For example, “Dan is committed to helping people understand and embrace the true power of technology.”

• For example: “When he isn’t glued to a computer screen, Dan spends time working in the garden, learning French, and trying very hard not to be the worst pool player in the Rockies.”
• The details you share can vary by bio. For a strictly personal bio, include details like hobbies, personal beliefs, and mottos.
• For a bio that falls between "professional" and "personal," try sharing details that give a sense of who you are but won’t alienate others.
• Avoid self-deprecating comments and details that are too intimate or potentially embarrassing for you or your audience.

• For example: “Dan is currently working on a memoir.”
• Keep this part of your bio short and sweet! A sentence is two is all you need.

• If you publish this bio online, format your email address carefully to avoid spam. Many people write email addresses online like: “Greg (at) fizzlemail (dot) com.”
• This clearly tells readers how to spell out your email without making it easy for spammers and bots to copy and use your information.

• Ask your friends and family (especially anyone who is a strong writer) to proofread your bio and give you feedback. A fresh pair of eyes can catch mistakes that you may miss!
• Online editing software like Grammarly can grade your piece in terms of readability and suggest minor improvements.
• Every once in a while, go back and update your bio. By putting in a little work frequently to keep it up to date, you'll save yourself a lot of work when you need to use it again.

• Chronological. Start at the story's beginning and end at the end. It’s simple and works well if you’ve had an interesting life that has taken you from points A to B to C in unusual or impressive ways.
• Circular. Start at an important moment (D), then backtrack to the beginning (A), and explain all the events leading up to that moment (B, C), eventually bringing the reader full circle. This is good for building suspense!
• Zoomed In. Focus on one critical event (C) to symbolically tell a larger story. Use a few small surrounding details (A, B, D) to orient the reader, but give that one moment enough emphasis to stand on its own.

• Avoid statements like, "UCSF has one of the top-ranked research-based med schools in the world, which would provide me with the foundation necessary to achieve my lifelong dream of becoming a doctor."
• Instead, write something like, “Watching a trauma surgeon save my brother’s life is a moment I’ll never forget. Since then, I’ve known undoubtedly that I would dedicate my life to medicine. My brother was lucky that his surgeon studied at one of the best programs in the country. By doing the same, I hope to one day mean to another family what Dr. Heller does to mine."

• Avoid statements like, "Having had a rather minimalistic upbringing, I find that I continue to assiduously value hard work and frugality above all else."
• Instead, try something like, "Growing up very poor taught me that hard work and thrift are sometimes the only things a person can afford."
• Well-written ideas make you seem far more intelligent than big words do. Focus on expressing yourself clearly, and don’t worry about the syllable count!

• Avoid statements like, "I learned a lot from my experience as a camp counselor."
• Instead, try something like, "I came out of my time as a camp counselor with a better understanding of empathy than before. Now, when my younger sister acts up, I know how to help her without sounding bossy or controlling."

• Different types of bio have different word count expectations. For instance, the average brief personal bio is around 250 words. For a resume or job search, it’s okay to have a personal bio of around 300 to 500 words.
• For longer personal bios (ones you might post on an “about me” page for a professional website, for example), aim for around 1,000 to 2,000 words. Include all the details you can, but keep them concise.
• Some social media sites, such as Twitter, restrict your bio to a certain number of words or characters. Ensure that you make the most of that space.

• For example, Tom Hank’s personal bio on Twitter reads, “I'm that actor in some of the movies you liked and some you didn't. Sometimes I'm in pretty good shape, other times I'm not. Hey, you gotta live, you know?”

• Passive: "The window was broken by the zombie."
• Active: "The zombie broke the window."
• The difference between these sentences is stark: in the first, you have no idea whether the window just happened to be broken. The second is obvious: the zombie broke the window, and you need to hit the road.

• Avoid statements like, "Reading The Great Gatsby was a pivotal moment in my life that made me totally rethink my preconceptions about what it means to live in modern America. Thanks to that assignment, I want to pursue American Studies."
• Instead, try something like, "My family’s ties to this country aren’t glamorous. We didn’t arrive on the Mayflower or have our surname butchered at Ellis Island. We settled in four states across the Midwest, where we’ve lived happily for over 100 years. The magic of that simple act isn’t lost on me, which is why I’ve chosen to major in American Studies."

• For example, if you’re writing an Instagram bio, include a link to your personal website too—especially if there’s a longer and more detailed bio for readers to check out there.
• Include a brief call-to-action, too! For example, if you have contact info, you might write “Contact me using the following” before you add the links.

• On your website, longer bios (between 1,500 and 2,000 words) will have the best online optimization. If your bio needs to be shorter, be sure to at least use third-person POV, since your name is another keyword.
• For example, your website’s “About” page could easily support a 1,500+ word bio. However, from there, you’d need to edit that bio down to a few sentences (a short paragraph) for your LinkedIn profile.

Community Q&A

• Throughout the process, think back to the purpose and audience you identified in Step 1. This will help guide your writing. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you're writing online, include hyperlinks to things you mention, such as projects you worked on or a personal blog you keep. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/8-steps-writing-bio-pro-chris-brogan-fact/
• ↑ http://michaelbmaine.com/home/2012/12/13/how-to-write-a-personal-bio
• ↑ https://www.pullmanfoundation.org/professional-bio-writing-101/
• ↑ https://www.collegerecruiter.com/blog/2011/01/28/how-to-write-a-personal-bio
• ↑ https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-write-a-bio/
• ↑ https://weareindy.com/blog/freelance-bio-examples-how-to-write-an-eye-catching-bio
• ↑ https://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo

About This Article

When you write a personal bio, write in the third person so it sounds more objective and professional. Start with a sentence that includes your name and what you do for a living. Then, mention your most important accomplishments that are relevant to your field of work. Briefly mention a couple of your hobbies or interests to make your bio more relatable. End with a sentence on any big projects you’re currently working on. Try to keep your bio around 250-500 words. For help writing a personal bio for college applications or social media, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write an Interesting Biography

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A biography is a written account of the series of events that make up a person's life. Some of those events are going to be pretty boring, so you'll need to try to make your account as interesting as possible!

Every student will write a biography at some point, but the level of detail and sophistication will differ. A fourth grade biography will be much different from a middle school-level biography or a high school or college-level biography.

However, each biography will include the basic details. The first information you should gather in your research will include biographical details and facts. You must use a trustworthy resource to ensure that your information is accurate.

Using research note cards , collect the following data, carefully recording the source for each piece of information:

Including Basic Details

• Date and place of birth and death
• Family information
• Lifetime accomplishments
• Major events of life
• Effects/impact on society, historical significance

While this information is necessary to your project, these dry facts, on their own, don't really make a very good biography. Once you've found these basics, you'll want to dig a little deeper.

You choose a certain person because you think he or she is interesting, so you certainly don't want to burden your paper with an inventory of boring facts. Your goal is to impress your reader!

Start off with great first sentence . It's a good idea to begin with a really interesting statement, a little-known fact, or really intriguing event.

You should avoid starting out with a standard but boring line like:

"Meriwether Lewis was born in Virginia in 1774."

Instead, try starting with something like this:

"Late one afternoon in October, 1809, Meriwether Lewis arrived at a small log cabin nestled deep in the Tennessee Mountains. By sunrise on the following day, he was dead, having suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

You'll have to make sure your beginning is motivating, but it should also be relevant. The next sentence or two should lead into your thesis statement , or main message of your biography.

"It was a tragic end to a life that had so deeply affected the course of history in the United States. Meriwether Lewis, a driven and often tormented soul, led an expedition of discovery that expanded a young nation's economic potential, increased its scientific understanding, and enhanced its worldwide reputation."

Now that you've created an impressive beginning , you'll want to continue the flow. Find more intriguing details about the man and his work, and weave them into the composition.

Examples of Interesting Details:

• Some people believed that Lewis and Clark would encounter elephants in the western wilderness, having misunderstood the wooly mammoth bones discovered in the United States.
• The expedition resulted in the discovery and description of 122 new animal species and subspecies.
• Lewis was a hypochondriac.
• His death is still an unsolved mystery, although it was ruled a suicide.

You can find interesting facts by consulting diverse sources.

Fill the body of your biography with material that gives insight into your subject's personality. For instance, in a biography about Meriwether Lewis, you would ask what traits or events motivated him to embark on such a monumental exercise.

Questions to Consider in Your Biography:

• Was there something in your subject's childhood that shaped his/her personality?
• Was there a personality trait that drove him/her to succeed or impeded his progress?
• What adjectives would you use to describe him/her?
• What were some turning points in this life?
• What was his/her impact on history?

Be sure to use transitional phrases and words to link your paragraphs and make your composition paragraphs flow . It is normal for good writers to re-arrange their sentences to create a better paper.

The final paragraph will summarize your main points and re-assert your main claim about your subject. It should point out your main points, re-name the person you're writing about, but it should not repeat specific examples.

As always, proofread your paper and check for errors. Create a bibliography and title page according to your teacher's instructions. Consult a style guide for proper documentation.

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• How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement
• The Introductory Paragraph: Start Your Paper Off Right
• How to Write a Personal Narrative
• How to Help Your 4th Grader Write a Biography
• Tips for Writing an Art History Paper
• Overused and Tired Words
• How to Write a Great Book Report
• How to Write a Film Review
• The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay
• How to Write a Research Paper That Earns an A
• How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech
• Writing a Descriptive Essay
• How to Write a Great Essay for the TOEFL or TOEIC
• How Can You Stretch a Paper to Make it Longer?

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15 personal bio examples that are fun, creative, and get the job done.

Struggling to write about yourself? These personal bio examples show how you can talk about your professional and personal life in a creative, engaging way.

Published on Apr 23, 2024

By Austin Distel

Personal bios can be hard to write. Waxing lyrical about yourself can be uncomfortable, especially in the context of professional achievements and amazing things you’ve done.

But, in a world where we’re often separated from other humans via a screen, your personal bio is one of the easiest ways for a company, colleague, or a potential lead to learn more about you.

‍ If you don’t know what to include or how to get started, we’ve pulled together some personal bio examples that showcase a handful of creative and engaging ways to present yourself on your social media accounts, your personal website, and on any bylined articles you write outside of your site. 

We also provide some cool personal bio generator templates from our AI marketing platform , Jasper. Now you won’t have to scramble around at the last minute to come up with a short bio of yourself when you’re suddenly asked to send one over via email!

The business case for personal bios: why you should write one

You might wonder what the big deal is—it’s just a bio, right? Do people even read them? The answer is actually, yes; they do. Personal bios can be a great way to find out more about the person behind a website or an article. This helps establish a connection and encourages readers to relate to you. 

The thing is, you might not think a lot of people care about where you went to school or what you like to do in your spare time, but you just don’t know who’s reading your professional bio.

It might be a hotshot manager for your dream company who also loves to spend their weekends kayaking the coast. Or it might be the marketer for a well-known brand looking for a writer .

Learning little nuggets of information about you can put you ahead of other candidates they’re researching or other freelancers they’re in talks with. It could be the difference between getting that contract and not. 

What’s the difference between a personal bio and a resume?

Your resume is a list of your professional roles. Your personal bio digs deeper than this and gives readers an insight into things like: 

• Your interests outside of work
• Your backstory
• What gets you up in the morning 
• Your passions and values 
• Your goals 

Understanding this information can help them see if you’d be a good fit, or if you have the personal qualities they’re looking for in someone they want to work with. This information also helps you connect better with like-minded people.

Say, for example, you’re scrolling through Twitter, see a fun Tweet, and click on the person’s bio only to find out they also run 5km every evening and are passionate about addressing climate change. Chances are, you’re going to want to connect with them. 

Elements of a powerful personal bio

Crafting a compelling personal bio is essential for making a strong impression. Your bio should be concise yet impactful, providing a glimpse into who you are and what you stand for. Let's dive into the components that make a personal bio truly powerful:

Relevant personal and professional information

Incorporating both personal and professional details in your bio is key to offering a holistic view of your identity.

Sharing your hobbies, interests, and background not only showcases your unique personality but also makes you more approachable and adds a personal touch to your profile. Personal stories that align with your values and professional repertoire are a good way to connect with your audience.

On the other side of the same coin, showcasing professional details like work experience, skills, and achievements highlights your expertise and establishes your credibility within your field.

Combining personal and professional aspects in a personal bio creates a compelling narrative that offers a comprehensive view of an individual. This powerful blend paints a well-rounded picture, demonstrating both the human side and the professional prowess of the individual, making the bio more memorable and impactful.

Achievements and credentials

Showcasing your achievements and credentials is fundamental to establishing your credibility upon first impression. It is important to recognize that individuals reviewing your profile may only briefly examine your bio, so highlighting these achievements and credentials is imperative. Make sure to present a comprehensive snapshot of your professional capabilities and successes, reinforcing your position as a distinguished expert in your field.

Call to Action (CTA)

Including a call to action in your personal bio, like encouraging visitors to click a website link, is crucial for engaging your audience and motivating them to act.

By offering a clear and concise direction on the desired next steps for the reader, you effectively guide them towards delving deeper into learning about you, your work, or the services you provide. This will not only enhance the user experience by removing any ambiguity but also strategically guides interest towards areas you wish to highlight, like the next step in the sales funnel or a high converting blog article.

Well-crafted calls to action can boost your website traffic, foster engagement, and play a pivotal role in meeting your objectives, whether that’s attracting more clients, expanding your follower base, or unlocking new opportunities.

It's a powerful way to make your bio bring you closer to achieving your goals and shouldn’t be missed.

How to write a personal bio

Before we share some creative bio examples, let’s take a look at what your personal biography should include. Bear in mind that this will vary depending on what platform you’re posting it on (platforms like Twitter and Instagram have a limited word count).

However, you can have a “master” bio that you pull snippets from for other platforms. Not only does this keep your messaging cohesive across platforms, but it makes it easy to get a bio together at short notice because you already have all the information you need written down. 

How to write an Instagram bio

To write an Instagram bio that drives traffic to your website, you need to write a concise ( 150 characters or less ) and engaging description of yourself or your brand. 

Begin with an engaging hook or tagline to capture the reader's interest immediately.

Then, emphasize what distinguishes you from competitors, showcasing your unique selling propositions. Entice visitors with a compelling call-to-action to explore further by clicking the link in your bio to access your website. Use emojis or symbols to add flair and break up the text, injecting personality into your message.

How to write an X (Twitter) bio

It's essential to keep your X (Twitter) bio concise and impactful. Twitter bios have a character limit of 160 characters , so you’ll need to keep things short and sweet.

It's important to remember to periodically refresh your bio, making sure it accurately reflects any updates or changes in your business operations. This practice ensures that your bio remains current and relevant, communicating your business's evolution and current focus to your audience. Keeping your bio updated is a simple yet effective way to engage and inform your followers about the latest developments in your business.

Using platforms like Jasper helps you create a bio that grabs attention, boosts engagement, and drives traffic to your business. This strategy is key to building a strong online presence and fostering your business's growth and success.

What to include in a bio on your site

For this ‌exercise, let’s focus on what you need to include in a personal bio on your website. This will be your “master” bio as it’ll probably be the longest and go into the most detail.

People who are poking around on your website have already shown an interest in who you are and what you do, so they’re more likely to stick around and read a longer bio. Here’s what you should include:

• Your name: obviously, you need to state your name. Most people choose to include their full name, including surname, at the start of their bio. However, if your website URL or personal brand is already your full name, you can shorten it to just your first name. 
• Your position: your current position and the tasks you’re responsible for should get a mention. This is particularly important if you’re looking for jobs or are writing a bio for a networking platform like LinkedIn. 
• Your work experience: mention any key roles you’ve held in the past and how you got to where you are today. Stories like this show readers your journey and give an insight into your specialisms and professional skills. 
• What you do and who you do it for: kind of like stating your “niche”, talking about what exactly it is you do (like graphic design or paid ad campaigns), and who you do it for (like finance companies or busy e-commerce owners) can help readers identify if you’re a good fit. 
• What you do outside of work: personal bios should be more personal than a resume or professional bio and should therefore include personal details about what you like to do when you’re not working. Do you frequent pop-up restaurants? Attend dog shows with your puppy? Rock climb in the mountains? 
• Professional accomplishments: talk about what you’ve achieved both at work and outside of work. This gives readers an idea about the things you value and what you might be able to achieve for them (it’s also a great talking point for people who want to reach out). 
• Personal story: share a personal, creative story to add a splash of personality. It can be anything from the disastrous first birthday party you held for your daughter to the time you were taken in by a local family after getting lost in Mongolia. Don't forget to add a custom image !

How often should you refresh your personal bio? 

The life you live now isn’t the same life you were living ten, five, or even two years ago. Your personal bio should reflect your current situation, which means it’ll probably need to be regularly updated.

If you’re not sure about when to give it a refresh, consider:

• When you land a new job 
• When you achieve a big milestone (either at work or in your personal life)
• When your old one doesn’t have the same ring to it 

Schedule time every few months to go back over your personal bio and see if everything is still true and up-to-date. 

Where to display your personal bio 

Your personal bio can be displayed anywhere that you might want people to find out more about you. Often, this will be places like social media, your website, guest post bylines, or your speaker profile, but you can also include it in other marketing materials like flyers for events you’re hosting or the blurb for your latest ebook. 

• Twitter: cramming a personal bio into 160 characters can be hard, but it can also be a great lesson in identifying what information matters the most. Use up as many of the characters as you can, and use them wisely..
• LinkedIn: the summary section of your LinkedIn profile gives you up to 2,000 characters to use. This is the ideal place to share your “master” bio.
• Instagram: at 150 characters, you have just a few words to explain who you are and what you do on Instagram—use them wisely.
• Personal website: people who land on your website are already interested in you—share your “master” bio here in all its glory. 
• Guest posts: bylined articles need a couple of sentences about the author. Make it engaging to encourage readers to click through to your site or remember your name. 
• Speaker profile: if you speak at events or conferences, you’ll need a short but sweet speaker bio that gets attendees interested in your session.

Get inspired: fun personal bio examples 

#1 twitter bio example: sally fox.

Sally includes what she does and who she does it for, as well as a humorous bit of information about her and her contact information—all within Twitter’s 160 character limit.

#2 Twitter bio example: Kash Bhattacharya

Kash showcases his accomplishments as well as a bit of backstory about what he’s doing and how long he’s been doing it.

#3 Twitter bio example: Jay Acunzo

Jay shares his mission in his Twitter bio, as well as what he’s best known for.

#4 Pinterest bio example: Grey & Scout

Liz of Grey & Scout introduces herself and tells her followers what they can expect to see from her—not an easy feat with such a limited word count.

#5 Guest post bio example: Justin Champion

In this guest author byline, Justin uses the third person to introduce who he is and what he does, as well as share his goal with readers.

#6 LinkedIn bio example: Katrina Ortiz

Katrina uses her LinkedIn bio to tell a story. Readers are hooked from the first sentence, but she also gives key insights into her specialties and achievements. 

#7 LinkedIn bio example: Karen Abbate

Karen does things a bit differently with her LinkedIn summary and lists out key things readers might want to know about her and her career. 

#8 LinkedIn bio example: Katie Clancy

Katie starts her LinkedIn bio with an analogy that serves to hook readers from the start. From there, she branches out into how it relates to her profession, as well as her key achievements and career highlights.

#9 Personal website bio example: Dave Harland

Dave Harland’s About Page shares the story of how he got into writing‌. At the end, he highlights his experience and why this story has helped him become a go-to copywriter.

#10 Personal website bio example: Gummi Sig

Gummi Sig begins his bio in the third person before diving into first-person storytelling mode. Perhaps the best part about this personal bio is the call to action at the end that encourages potential leads to get in touch.

#11 Personal website bio example: Leigh Whipday

Leigh Whipday of Toy Fight has a short professional bio on the website. It includes both his professional achievements as well as insights about his life outside of work to attract his target audience.

#12 Personal website bio example: Blake Fili Suarez

Blake includes both a short and a long version of his bio so that readers can choose the best option for them. Both include what he does as well as personal anecdotes about his life and business.

Create your own with the Jasper personal bio template

# 13 Personal website bio example: Kaleigh Moore

Besides a short professional bio that’s more focused on her work, Kaleigh Moore also has a personal bio on her site. It goes into detail about her first e-commerce business and how it led her into writing for the biggest names in e-commerce. It also shares some fun facts and photos of Kaleigh.

#14 Instagram bio example: Carlos Gil

Carlos Gil does a good job of using limited space wisely, mentioning accomplishments, what he does and for who, as well as what he’s working on.  

#15 Instagram bio example: Samantha Anderl

Co-founder of Harlow, Samantha Anderl, uses her personal Instagram bio not only to promote the company but also to give some insight into her personality. As this bio shows, a little humor can go a long way in attracting like-minded people to both you and your business.

Struggling with a blank page? Not sure which words to put down first? Overwhelmed by all the great professional bio examples out there and have now got writer’s paralysis? That's where an AI writing assistant can come in handy. Jasper’s personal bio template, in particular, can save the day. 

Simply plug in a few key pieces of information about yourself (use the list we mentioned above as a starting point) and choose the tone of voice you want to portray . Jasper will then work its AI magic and create a collection of personal bios you can tweak or use as they are. For example, here’s the start of a short bio for Apple’s co-founder, Steve Jobs. 

Jasper can create well-written, engaging bios for anyone in any role, as long as you provide the right info. For instance, besides setting the point of view and tone, we gave Jasper some basic details, including a fictional name, role, and location for a Senior Product Marketing Manager. 

As you can see from the bio options below, Jasper added emotion and personality to the details we gave. And he even added missing details such as past companies and years of experience, which we could easily swap out for factual details when writing a bio for a real person. 

We provided similar details for the bio of a fictional social media marketer, feeding Jasper info on specialties, previous roles, and hobbies. This time in the third person, Jasper added flair to our inputs, as well as some additional details that could be verified or swapped out, such as Luisa being from Columbia. 

Any of Jasper’s outputs could be combined, edited, or expanded in minutes to create a polished bio that showcases your areas of expertise, your professional goals, and your personality. Writing about yourself doesn’t have to be hard!

Also related: the Jasper company bio template

Companies can also make use of Jasper’s bio templates with the company bio template. Again, just input some key facts about your business, and— voila! —Jasper will create a fun and creative bio you can use wherever you like. 

Create your punchy personal bio today

Never again be asked to send over a personal bio “on the fly”. Instead, create a “master” bio that can be chopped up into engaging chunks and shared on your chosen promotional platforms.

Include key information about your job title, achievements, and what exactly it is you do, as well as personal anecdotes, your interests, and how you spend your spare time.

Your personal bio is a chance to connect with potential clients, hiring managers, and like-minded colleagues, so take the time to write one that really presents you as you want to be presented.

‍ Start a free trial to create your Personal Bio using Jasper today.

Meet The Author:

Austin Distel

Austin Distel is the Sr. Director of Marketing at Jasper , your AI marketing co-pilot. When not working, Austin is also an Airbnb superhost in Austin, Texas.

Enjoy this post? Join over 4 million people who are learning to master AI in 2024.

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How to write a professional bio (with examples and templates)

• Rebecca Strehlow
• 11 min read

Get started by: Creating a website →  | Getting a domain →

Which three words would you use to describe yourself? Most of us have been asked this question, and many of us have fumbled through it awkwardly.

Coming up with a personal description can be daunting. But there are times when it’s essential - whether we’re updating our LinkedIn profiles, blogging for Medium or creating a business website of our own.

In this post, we’ll go over how to write a bio, step by step. To help guide you, we’ve also included a handy template, along with some professional bio examples for your inspiration. With these resources, you’ll find that writing a bio, as part of making a website , is much easier than you might think.

What is a bio?

Before you learn how to write a bio, you should have a clear understanding of what it is and why you need it.

In the world of literature, a personal biography can span the length of an entire novel, like Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom or Malala Yousafzai’s I Am Malala . In the online world, however, a bio is a short paragraph in which you introduce yourself. Typically, people place bios on the About Us page of their professional website, as well as on their social media pages and other networking platforms.

What to include in a bio

Depending on your audience and goals, your bio can highlight your personal interests, your professional achievements or a mix of both. Here are some of the elements a bio might include:

Job title or workplace

University degree and other qualifications

Hometown or city of residence

Personal or professional goals

Mission statement and values

Skills and expertise

Interests and hobbies

The goal of writing a bio is to provide people with a snapshot of who you are. This is important for a variety of reasons, whether it’s drawing people toward your personal website or promoting your blog, attracting clients and business partners to your brand, or highlighting your achievements for job interviews.

How to write a short bio

The most effective online bios are both professional and concise. Here’s how to write a short professional bio that suits your website or brand:

Introduce yourself

State your company or brand name

Explain your professional role

Include professional achievements

Discuss your passions and values

Mention your personal interests

01. Introduce yourself

Begin your bio by stating your first and last name. If you’re writing in the third person, these should be the first two words of the paragraph. This makes your name easy for your audience to identify and remember. Your bio is a huge part of your personal branding efforts, and should start with a strong intro to make a positive impact.

02. State your company or brand name

Think about whether you want your bio to represent yourself on a personal level, or whether you’d like it to come across as more professional. If you have a personal brand or business - for example, a blog, freelance business or eCommerce site - be sure to mention your brand name at the beginning of your bio. Don’t be afraid if the name sounds simple or redundant. It’s perfectly fine, for instance, to say Mary Smith is the founder and CEO of Smith Digital.

Likewise, feel free to mention the name of another company or brand that you work for if you’d like to associate it with your professional accomplishments - e.g., Mary Smith is a consultant at Google and the founder and CEO of Smith Digital.

03. Explain your professional role

Next, briefly explain your current position. This is relevant whether you’re the founder of a company, a high-level specialist or a beginner in your field, and it can be similar to the description you have on your resume. Your website visitors won’t necessarily know what your job involves, so elaborating on your primary responsibilities helps paint a picture of who you are and what you have to offer. This can also be used, if needed for employment and recruitment opportunities. If you're a freelancer a strong bio can make all the difference in how successful sourcing work can be.

04. Include professional achievements

In addition to explaining what your job entails, highlight milestones that make you stand out. Even if you haven’t won an award or gained external recognition, you can discuss ways in which you’ve contributed to your professional role and touch on new ideas or approaches that you bring to the table.

05. Discuss your passions and values

Once you describe what you do and how you contribute to your role, you’ll need to explain the why . This is one of the most important elements to focus on as you consider how to write a bio.

Think about the values and passions underlying your work, as well as your professional philosophy. What gets you up in the morning? What’s the driving force behind what you do?

You can also think of this part of your professional bio as a kind of mission statement. Perhaps your mission is to serve others, contribute to society, grow your expertise or learn new skills. Whatever your reasons, expanding upon these ideas can help your audience get a better understanding of what truly matters to you. Don't be afraid to deploy storytelling in this part of creating your bio. Explore your narrative and then convey it.

06. Mention your personal interests

The most effective short bios will not only focus on your professional experience, but will also touch on what you like to do in your spare time. Consider mentioning:

Your family

Your hometown

Your hobbies

Side projects you’re working on

Transitioning to a more casual discussion of who you are outside of work is a great way to conclude your bio. This will present you as a more well-rounded person while making you relatable for your audience.

Professional bio template

As you go through the steps on how to write a bio, this handy template will help you get started:

Sentence 1: [Name] is a [job title] who [job description].

E.g., Lisa Green is an English teacher who teaches beginning to advanced literature courses for 10th and 11th grade students at Bloomfield High School.

Sentence 2: [Name] believes that [why you do the work you do].

E.g., Lisa believes that written and analytical skills are not only a fundamental part of academic excellence, but are also the building blocks of critical thinking in high school and beyond.

Sentence 3: [Name/pronoun] has [mention your achievements].

E.g., In addition to managing the English curriculum for the school, she runs an after school program where she works one-on-one with students.

Sentence 4: [Name/pronoun] is a [mention any relevant awards, training or honors].

E.g., She has also been nominated Teacher of the Year for two consecutive years.

Sentence 5: [Name/pronoun] holds a [insert degree] in [field of study] from [university].

E.g., Lisa holds a BA in Creative Writing and a Master’s Degree in Teaching from the University of Michigan.

Once you’ve filled in this template, put it all together into a single paragraph to create an initial framework for your professional biography. Note that you can shorten or expand upon this bio according to your unique needs.

Professional bio examples

Now that you know the basics of writing a professional bio, here are some short bio examples to inspire you. You can use these examples as additional templates for guidance as you craft your own personal biography.

Like the creators of these examples, you can place your bio on your personal or professional website and, later, revise the structure for other online platforms.

01. Bristol Guitar Making School

Of all the professional bio examples, Alex Bishop’s content exudes passion. Strategically placing the bio on the About page of his small business website , he highlights his skills and explains why he finds his work meaningful. In particular, we love his description of why he chose to pursue guitar making:

“​My passion as a guitar maker comes from a life-long obsession with making things. From a young age I have always tried to manipulate objects and materials in order to create something entirely different. I find that working with wood is a way for me to connect with nature. The simple act of shaping wood to make something functional or beautiful brings me endless satisfaction.”

He also lists his accomplishments and awards, adding credibility to his business and building trust among prospective clients.

02. Alexandra Zsigmond

As someone who has served as art director for both The New York Times' opinion section and The New Yorker , it's no surprise that Alexandra Zsigmond's bio is thorough and detailed. Providing statistics or reflections on the things she achieved in her career is a clever way to demonstrate her value without saying so directly. As she explains:

"She has collaborated with a roster of over 1000 artists worldwide and art directed over 4000 editorial illustrations. She is known for greatly expanding the range of visual contributors to the Times, drawing equally from the worlds of contemporary illustration, fine art, animation, and comics."

03. Amanda Shields Interiors

Amanda Shields provides us with another effective bio example on her interior design website. Importantly, she spices up her bio by explaining how home decor aligns with her personal life and why it’s so close to her heart as a mother and entrepreneur:

"After working as a product designer for numerous retailers over the years, and after I had my first child, I decided to take the plunge and start my own home staging business…. Coincidentally, a month later I discovered I was pregnant with my second child. I loved the new challenges I faced as a new entrepreneur and mom and it didn't take long for me to discover that this was my calling…. I felt the need to expand my business and launch Amanda Shields Interiors as its own entity to focus specifically on residential interiors and design."

By placing this content on her website’s About page, she provides potential clients with insights into her expertise and professional experience. She expands upon the choices she made along her career path, strategically making note of her achievements and acquired skills along the way.

Tips for writing a bio

As you write your bio using the professional template above, make sure to keep the following tips in mind:

Keep it concise: Your bio should be sufficiently explanatory, but it should also be short and to the point. A good rule of thumb is to keep each element of your bio - from your job description to your mission statement and hobbies - to about 1-2 sentences. That way, you’ll end up with a brief paragraph that holds your readers’ attention without rambling on.

Consider your audience: The voice and tone you choose for your biography largely depends on your audience and personal goals. If you’re looking for a job and are writing primarily for recruiters, you’ll want to use a serious, professional tone. On the other hand, if you’re creating an Instagram bio , consider using more casual, conversational language that reflects your personality.

Add humor: Relatedly, consider adding humor when appropriate. This is especially valuable if you’ve founded your own business or created your own website , as it can give you a distinct brand identity while helping your audience build a stronger sense of connection with your brand.

Link to your website: When writing a bio for a platform other than your own website - a social media page, another company page, or a guest blog or publication - remember to include a link to your website. This will help you promote your website while highlighting your professionalism and authority.

Adapt for different platforms: You’ll most likely need to adapt the length and writing style of your biography to suit different platforms. For example, you may place a longer bio on your website’s About page and a shorter one on your LinkedIn page. In these cases, use the same main principles for writing a bio while scaling down the most important elements.

By following these tips, you can create a powerful bio that helps you stand out in your field and allows your audience to get to know you better.

How to write a bio in four sentences or less

Really need to create a super short bio? We'd suggest following some of the tips above, just condensing them into less word for a short bio that still makes impact.

But if we really had to choose we'd say focus on - you, your professional role and company. That condenses everything that matters for bio into three sentences. Humor, creativity and uniqueness still all matter - just use fewer words to convey them.

Creating a bio for your website

As we’ve noted in the examples above, one of the most strategic places to put your bio is on your website - so be sure to consider it within your web design plans. Whether the goal of your site is to start and promote your business , showcase your design portfolio or display your resume, including a bio gives your audience a glimpse into the person behind your content. It can also kickstart your professional growth . Show the world what you do, how you do it and why it matters, and people will be drawn to your passion and inspired by your experience.

Pro tip: You can add a bio to many different types of websites, so using templates can help you create yours faster. For example, if you're creating a portfolio website , explore portfolio website templates to help you get started.

Creating a bio for social media

Crafting a professional bio for social media is vital as it introduces you or your brand, and it builds credibility and trust. A well-written bio establishes your expertise, attracts the right audience, and fosters engagement. It helps maintain a consistent brand image, optimizes search and discovery, and opens doors to networking and career opportunities. A compelling bio delivers a concise, informative snapshot of who you are, what you do, and the value you bring, leaving a lasting impression on visitors and potential collaborators alike.

You may need to edit your bio depending on which social media platform you plan to use it on. Some of the most popular ones include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Focus on getting your bio right on the platforms you plan to focus your personal or brand social media marketing efforts on.

Writing a bio with AI

If you're looking to write your bio fast while creating your website, consider using an AI text generator to build your draft. You'll still need to make sure it goes through. an intensive editing process, so that it really captures the essence of who you are and your professional skills. A bio is about much more than just basic information, so don't forget to include the storytelling too. Build a website with Wix and you can make use of the in-built AI text generator within its Editor .

Why good bios are important for a professional

In a world where first impressions matter, a well-crafted bio can make a significant impact in establishing trust and credibility with potential clients, employers or collaborators. It also offers insight into your personality and values, helping to forge authentic connections with your audience. It acts as a powerful tool for personal branding, allowing you to differentiate yourself in a competitive landscape and leave a memorable impression.

A strong bio also serves as a gateway to opportunities, whether it's securing new clients, landing job interviews or establishing partnerships. It acts as a professional introduction, allowing you to showcase your expertise. A polished and impactful bio is essential for you to effectively communicate your professional identity and stand out in your field.

Writing a bio without experience

Writing a bio when you don't yet have experience can be challenging, but it's an opportunity to showcase your potential and aspirations.

Begin by highlighting your educational background, skills and any relevant coursework or projects you've completed. Focus on your passions, interests and personal qualities that make you unique. Consider including volunteer work, internships or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your commitment and initiative. Emphasize your eagerness to learn and grow in your chosen field and express your future goals and aspirations. Don't be afraid to be honest about your current stage and your willingness to gain experience and develop professionally.

If you don't know what to write in your bio, start by brainstorming your key experiences, achievements, skills and personal attributes. Consider what sets you apart and what you want others to know about you. Look for inspiration from other bios or profiles in your field, and consider seeking feedback from friends, mentors or colleagues. Don't hesitate to highlight your passions, interests and goals, as well as any unique experiences or perspectives you bring to the table. Remember to keep it concise and engaging, and don't be afraid to revise and refine your bio until it accurately represents you.

How to write a bio FAQ

What is a short bio.

A short bio, short for biography, is a concise summary of a your life or professional background. It provides a brief overview of your key achievements, qualifications, experiences, and relevant details. Typically written in the third person, a short bio is often used in various contexts, such as professional profiles, social media accounts, introductions for speaking engagements, author descriptions, and other situations where a brief introduction is required. The length of a short bio can vary, but it's generally kept to a few sentences or a short paragraph to provide a snapshot of the person's background and expertise.

How do I write a bio about myself?

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How to Write a Short Professional Bio (With Examples and Templates)

3 key takeaways

• What a short professional bio is and where to use one
• How to write your professional bio (plus short professional bio examples and templates)
• How to use the Teal  AI Resume Builder  to write a short, professional bio

Your professional bio is one of the most important things you'll write about yourself.

In a world where just about everyone is represented online in some capacity, your professional bio will often serve as your first introduction to your intended audience. It can help influence whether someone invites you to connect, interview you, or simply move on.

But how does your professional bio work in tandem with your resume to tell your unique story? And what are some short professional bio examples you can reference to craft your own—helping you strike the perfect balance between informative and engaging?

What is a short professional bio? 

A short professional bio is exactly what it sounds like — a short professional biography that introduces yourself and gives a brief overview of your career and accomplishment examples . A short professional bio gives future employees, colleagues, and anyone else you're networking with a more well-rounded picture of who you are.  

We recognize that “short” is a vague term and can mean many different things. But the good news is, unless you're dealing with a certain character or space limit, there is no magic length that your bio has to be. Most short bios tend to run anywhere from one to four paragraphs, but feel free to make yours whatever length you think would work best for you. 

Your short professional bio can be displayed many different places, including but not limited to: your website, LinkedIn profile, Twitter profile, in press features, and your resume. 

What should I include in a short professional bio? 

Before you sit down to write your bio, it might be helpful for you to think of it as not only a bio, but also an elevator pitch for your target audience. You want to produce a compelling professional bio. Your bio should answer the question: what would you want someone who doesn't know you at all to know about your career so far? 

Below are some thought-starters to set you up for success. 

As a working professional

Whether you've been working for six months or 15 years, consider including these in your bio: 

• Where you're based
• Where you're from
• What university, trade school, or bootcamp you attended (if any)
• Your current or former career titles
• Your career goals
• Relevant awards, accolades, or press features you've garnered
• Your professional experience, skills, and area(s) of expertise
• What you like to do in your spare time (personal interests, hobbies, side hustles, etc.) 

To make sure you're providing the most relevant skills to a potential employer, use Teal's Skills Database in the free  Skills Workbook  to identify your current skills and potential skills that you want to acquire. Once you've identified those, enter them into Teal's Skills Identifier.

As a student

Even if you're still in school, there's plenty of information you can include in your bio, like: 

• What university, trade school, or bootcamp you're attending
• Your area of study or intended major
• Any clubs, teams, volunteering, or other extracurriculars you're a part of 
• Any internships you've completed
• Your career goals 
• Your availability

How to write a short professional bio

If you're ready to begin writing your professional bio, we commend you. We've listed a few things here that you might find helpful to consider, but again, there is no steadfast formula. You can feel free to follow or ignore these suggestions however you see fit. 

‍ Choose your voice

You have the option to write your bio using either first or third person. When using first person, you will be utilizing the pronouns "I, me, and my". When using third person, you would refer to yourself using your name and preferred pronouns.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. However, as a general rule, using third person is typically considered more formal, while using first person is more casual.

First person example: "I am a bestselling author. My work has been published in XYZ publication."

Third person example: "Zane Smith is a bestselling author. His work has been published in XYZ publication."

If you want to have multiple versions of the same bio on hand, like a first person version and a third person version, our tools are designed to make this easy for you. Write as many versions of your bio as you need and rotate which one you use in which situation as your career evolves. 

Generate your professional bio with AI

You can also use our AI Resume Builder to generate multiple versions of your short professional bio. Your bio will be tailored based on the details and achievements you've included about your recent work experiences.

Try it yourself for free.

Choose your tone

Written words, like spoken speech, can embody many different moods and tones. Depending on the context and your  personal brand , you might decide your bio should sound more buttoned-up, or more relaxed, or even a little bit silly. 

These two sentences describe the same person but showcase very different tones and writing style: 

“A recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Sally is currently a consultant at XYZ Consulting based out of their New York office.” 

“A recent UPenn grad, Sally swore off econ after years of hard classes only to end up as a consultant at a major firm — but don't worry, she loves it.” 

Start with your name and your current or most recent role

This is not a hard and fast rule, but to get your bio started, it's usually easiest to start with your name and current professional title or role. 

Example:  “Zane Smith is currently the Demand Generation Manager at ABC Tech Company.” 

If you're transitioning between roles or switching industries , you can list your most recent role and use your first sentence to say what you're looking to become.

Example 1:  “Previously the Demand Generation Manager at ABC Tech Company, Zane Smith is actively pursuing new opportunities in marketing management.” 

Example 2 : “Previously the Demand Generation Manager at ABC Tech Company, Zane Smith is now an aspiring 2nd grade teacher.” 

Add any former titles and list relevant achievements

Once you've introduced yourself and your current title or aspirations, you can flow into your professional background, former job titles, and what you did previously. Together, the first two sentences of your bio could read something like this: 

“Zane Smith is currently the Demand Generation Manager at ABC Tech Company. Previously, he was a Marketing Specialist at FGH Tech Company where he grew paid traffic to their website by 500% year over year.” 

How can you ensure your bullet point achievements reflect your qualifications? In addition to using Teal's free Achievement Assistant tool within the AI Resume Builder , try leveraging ChatGPT for this part of the process. Just remember to copy and paste ChatGPT-generated resume achievements back into your AI Resume Builder.

Remember to personalize your bullet point achievements by proofreading and editing them, tweaking as needed using the Achievement Assistant tool.

Consider adding the “why” behind your story

Self-promotion can feel incredibly uncomfortable, but it's important to really make sure you don't undermine your own value. Your “why,” the  reason that you do what you do everyday , can be powerful and meaningful. Adding what gives you the spark to start each workday can set your own professional bio apart from others. 

Example:  “Claire was inspired to pursue a career in elder law after volunteering in a nursing home throughout high school and college.” 

Close with some personal details, if appropriate

Even though your bio will be used in a professional capacity, it's okay to list a few personal details. We're more than just our jobs, and adding a few personal facts can help illustrate who you are outside of the office. 

Example:  “When he's not working, Martin can be found tending to his spice garden and going on nature walks with his golden retriever.” 

Short professional bio do's and don'ts 

Even though there are no official rules for writing a bio, there are still some things you should try to strive for as well as steer clear of if you want to make the best possible impression. 

Be real:  Your bio is not the place to fudge the truth about who you are. Be honest about what you've done and where you're heading. Not telling the truth could bar you from achieving your goals and land you in hot water. 

Be concise:  We really hate to be the one to tell you this, but unfortunately, most people do not have the time or patience to read a five-paragraph essay about your life story. Sorry to break it to you! 

Try to keep things brief and avoid run-on sentences. We recommend running your bio through a  free clarity reader grammar-checking tool  to make sure your bio isn't too wordy or hard to understand. 

Be relatable:  No matter how lofty your accomplishments are, staying grounded may help you establish stronger connections with others. This is where adding personal details and highlighting your personal brand can serve you well. Whether that's with a  hobby, interest , or other role outside of work, being relatable can let others understand and get to know you better and determine if you would be a good fit for a company.  

Don't: 

Be arrogant:  It's both appropriate and expected for you to talk about your professional skills and accomplishments in your short bio. That being said, there's a fine line between talking about your achievements and sounding too braggy. These two examples talk about the same accomplishment but come across very differently: 

“An accomplished pianist, Ryan was selected out of nearly 7,000 applicants to perform at the annual New York State School Music Association festival last spring.” 

“An accomplished pianist, Ryan was the obvious choice to perform at the annual New York State School Music Association festival last spring (because he's the best).” 

Be spiteful:  This is especially relevant if you're revising your bio  after a lay-off  or termination. As tempting as it might be, avoid making any negative statements or accusations in your bio. Positivity and a good attitude will get you much further.

Short professional bio examples

Seeing real professional bios in the wild might help you craft your bio more so than a set of guidelines will. For that reason, we rounded up four real-life short bio examples on different platforms that you can draw further inspiration from. 

Personal website bio: Audree Kate Lopez

"AUDREE KATE LOPEZ IS A FASHION STYLIST, EDITOR, INDUSTRY EXPERT AND INFLUENCER BASED IN NEW YORK. Audree began her professional career in the fashion departments at Glamour, O, the Oprah Magazine, Editorialist and Redbook magazines. She launched Audree Kate Studios in 2017 and worked on freelance projects at Marc Jacobs, Alice + Olivia, J.Crew and Club Monaco, joined the styling team at Alice + Olivia and became a contributing fashion editor for StyleCaster.com. Over the past few years Audree has styled for various publications, celebrities and retail brands. In 2016, Audree founded a digital course and community for fashion students called Fashion Fundamentals and has hosted workshops and classes around the country, and wrote an ebook titled Fashion Fundamentals."

Why we picked it:  Audree's professional bio does a great job at telling and humbling her story. Taking her career from her dorm room all the way to major magazines is impressive and gives readers the right impression that she's ambitious and driven. It also gives a strong overview of all of the different yet relevant accomplishments she's checked off, ranging from styling, to editing, to creating her own course. 

LinkedIn bio: Christen Nino De Guzman 

"Latina creator. Speaker. Tech Mentor. Christen is the Founder of the newly launched app Clara, a community that empowers creators through transparency, brand reviews, and discoverability. An industry vet, Christen has almost a decade of experience working with top content creators at social networking companies such as Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. She is a motivational speaker and mentor in the tech space who is passionate about helping people break into the industry through career advice and actionable content."

Why we picked it:  Christen's professional bio is punchy, concise, and gives her credibility. The short few sentences at the very beginning are a creative and clever way to describe who she is right off the bat. She also mentions how many years of experience she has, which at this stage in her career, is a wise move and shows that she brings a high level of expertise to her pursuits. The decision to put her social media profiles makes sense and feels true to her, given her engaged following. 

Twitter bio: Dulma 

"Founder of Makelane, a private community for female DTC founders. 70K followers on TikTok where I analyze consumer brands"

Why we picked it:  Twitter only gives you 160 characters for your bio, truly keeping it a short bio, but Dulma does an excellent job maximizing what little space is given. Dulma's professional bio clearly and succinctly states her two main pursuits: being a founder of an online community and creating content for a large audience on TikTok. 

Company website bios: Teachable

"Meet our wonderful team We're a tight-knit group of curious creatures, always learning, and constantly seeking out new perspectives and ideas. Get to know our team—they're what makes Teachable, well, Teachable."

Why we picked it : Having a short professional bio on a company website can be beneficial for many reasons. Each of the four bios featured on Teachable's company site show individuality and make the company more relatable to customers or clients. It provides an opportunity for the individual to showcase their experience, skills, and achievements, which can help build trust and confidence in potential clients or customers. These bios, with full names and pictures, allow the reader to learn more about the individual's expertise and background and can encourage networking opportunities.

Short professional bio templates

If you prefer to plug and play or need a professional bio in a pinch, don't worry, we've still got you. Here are three short bio templates to get you started:

Short professional bio template for working professionals

[First name last name]  is  [currently/formerly]  a  [insert most recent job title]  at  [most recent company name] . A proud graduate of  [school or university] , they were inspired to pursue a career in  [field]  after  [explain what led to your decision to work in your industry] . Prior to working at [most recent job title], they were the  [previous title]  at  [previous company]  where they were responsible for  [insert professional accomplishments here] . In their free time, they can be found  [insert your favorite hobbies] . 

Short professional bio template for students

[First name last name]  is a current  [year]  at  [institution]  majoring in  [area(s) of study] . On campus,  [First name]  is actively involved in  [activity name] , for which they  [insert details about what you do for the activity you're involved in] . They most recently  [interned/worked]  at  [organization name] , where they had the opportunity to  [insert details about what you did on the job] . They intend to work in the  [insert field name or industry]  after graduation to follow their passion of  [insert what you are passionate about] . In their spare time, they can be found  [insert your favorite hobbies] . 

Short professional bio template for someone with a gap in employment

[First name last name] is a [position/job title] with [number] years of experience in [specific skills or industry] . Following [briefly mention the reason for the employment gap] , [he/she/they] took some time off to focus on [briefly mention what they did during the gap, e.g., personal development, family obligations, health reasons] . During this time, [he/she/they] also [briefly mention any relevant skills or achievements acquired during the gap] . [Name] is now eager to return to the workforce and is excited to bring [specific skills/accomplishments] to [his/her/their] next role. With a proven track record of [list specific achievements or skills] , [Name] is confident in [his/her/their] ability to contribute to [specific industry/profession] and make an impact in [his/her/their] next position.

If you decide to use any of these templates, we strongly recommend you tweak it ever-so-slightly. We don't mean diving into creative writing and rewriting it entirely; just add a little bit of personal flair once you've finished plugging your details in. Add some adjectives, remove anything that doesn't quite fit with your vibe or experiences, or append some more personal details as you see fit. Feel free to work off of any one of the bios from our resume examples to get feel for how different styles can be used across roles.

Remember, as cheesy as it sounds, there's only one you. Even if you use a template, your bio should still have a small sprinkle of personal flair, if possible. 

Create your professional bio with Teal

Crafting a professional bio that effectively showcases your unique skills and accomplishments can be a challenging task. It's important to keep in mind that your bio should be concise and focused on the most relevant details of your career. If you're struggling with what to include, consider starting with the basics and keeping it simple and factual.

Remember, your bio can evolve over time along with your career, so don't be afraid to make updates as you gain more experience and achieve new accomplishments. By taking these steps, you can create a friendly and professional bio that effectively represents your personal brand.

Ready to create a full set of professional bios to get to your next career goal faster? Sign up to start using the AI Resume Builder to generate professional your professional bios directly within the platform.

Once you have your professional bio, don't forget to use Teal's free AI Resume Builder  to update your resume with your skills, latest experience, and work achievements! The job of your resume is to get you in the door. Optimizing it will help you land interviews for the next opportunities that excite you.

Use the AI integration feature within Teal's AI Resume Builder to generate achievements. To get quality, metric-driven achievements, make sure to attach a job description to incorporate relevant keywords.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of a short professional bio.

An example of a short professional bio is: "Katie is a seasoned marketing professional with over 10 years of experience in digital advertising strategies. She has helped numerous brands achieve their online marketing goals, leading to increased visibility and 3x revenue YoY."

How do you write an impressive short bio?

To write an impressive short bio, focus on your most significant achievements, relevant skills, and experiences that set you apart. Keep it concise and tailored to your audience to engage and leave a memorable impression. You can also use the Teal  AI Resume Builder  Generative AI to craft a bio that highlights your unique professional journey and skills in an engaging way.

What is a short biography about yourself?

A short biography about yourself should concisely summarize your professional background, major accomplishments, and skills. For example, "I'm an innovative software developer with 5 years of experience in creating scalable applications, known for my ability to troubleshoot complex issues and my commitment to delivering high-quality software solutions."

Emily Polner

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27 of the Best Professional Bio Examples I've Ever Seen [+ Templates]

Published: December 20, 2023

As a writer, I have to let readers and potential clients know my expertise, my skills, and why they should work with me or be interested in what I say. So, a professional bio is a must in my industry.

Though I'm definitely familiar with professional bios, I can admit they can be challenging. What do I include? What do readers need to know?

As daunting as writing a professional bio can be, professional bios are crucial when applying for jobs, seeking new clients, or networking. A professional bio also gives the world a brief snapshot of you and your professional ideals.

If you‘re at a loss for how to write a professional bio that packs a punch, I’ve got you covered. In this journey, tools like HubSpot’s user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder can be instrumental in showcasing your professional bio online with ease and style.

I will walk you through how to write a professional bio that you can proudly publish, provide professional bio templates, and show you the best professional bio examples you can get inspiration from.

What is a professional bio?

Professional bio templates, how to write a professional bio, best professional bio examples, how to write a short bio.

80+ Professional Bio Templates & Examples

Create a compelling professional narrative for a proper, attention-grabbing introduction.

• LinkedIn Summaries
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You're all set!

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Tell us a little about yourself below to gain access today:

A professional bio or biography is a short overview of your experience. Professional bios usually include details about education, employment, achievements, and relevant skills.

Purpose of Professional Bios

A bio tells an audience about who you are, what you've done, and what you can do. It can help potential employers, fans, or customers understand your personality and what you stand for.

Writing a bio without a clear starting point is challenging — believe me, I've tried. To ease the process, here are some templates I put together to get you started.

I‘ve found it’s best to keep your professional bio honest and to the point. Too long of a bio, and you risk losing your audience's attention. After all, audiences will only read a web page for less than a minute before clicking elsewhere.

And honesty is key because most consumers and clients won‘t invest in someone or something if it doesn’t seem trustworthy. In fact, 67% of consumers say they must trust a brand before investing in its products or services.

"Plus," she adds, "I'm always happy to talk about my cats at any given moment. You never know when a fellow cat mom could be reading."

Values and Work Approach

Your values can sometimes show your work ethic more effectively than your career path. It can also help you endear yourself to employers and colleagues who want to work with people with similar values.

So don‘t be shy: Share how you incorporate your values into your work. Whether it’s a commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, or ethical decision-making, explain what drives you and be enthusiastic about it.

Your Personality

Remember: Your bio should always include a taste of your personality! Your sense of humor, creativity, or collaborative nature could all give readers a sense of who you are. This helps readers connect with you on a more personal level.

Remember to tailor your bio for different platforms and audiences. Also, keep it concise and impactful while highlighting the most relevant information in each context.

First-Person Bio vs. Third-Person Bio

While first-person bios are common, third-person bios can be more effective in formal situations.

Your decision to write your professional bio in the first or third person depends on your desire to leave a more personable or assertive impression.

Both approaches work, provided you tailor them to your goals and audience. What’s important is to be clear and tell your story in a way that connects with your reader.

How to Write a First-Person Bio

Writing in the first person can be a great way to connect with your audience when building a personal brand. When you write a first-person bio, use "I" or "me" to make yourself relatable and approachable.

Here's one way I’d write a first-person bio:

"I'm a freelance writer specializing in small business content. I've worked with companies in a variety of industries like home care to fine leather goods."

Speaking in the first person here connects you with a client or brand based on your experience and opinions. Put another way, writing a first-person bio is like telling your story to your audience.

Here are a few tips to make your first-person bio great:

Don’t start every sentence with "I."

Showing instead of telling is a great approach.

Let’s say you’re a writer who wants to create a short professional bio. Instead of saying, "I love to write," you can say, "Writer. Bad but enthusiastic dancer."

This portrays your writing skill, shows your personality outside of writing as a dancer, and includes a little sense of humor, which is essential for a writer.

Remember, you know yourself better than anyone.

Adding a back story to your bio helps create context for the roles and successes you write about. Think of it like a case study about who you were, what you are now, and the process that got you to your current position.

Focus on valuable details.

Quick facts about you can showcase your identity and values. For example, if you're writing a bio for LinkedIn, think about how to tie your hobby into what you do.

Let's say Animal Crossing is your hobby. Does it align with your career aspirations? It can be a great addition to your bio if you want to pursue a video game career.

However, if your interests lie elsewhere, including a more relevant hobby is better.

How to Write a Third-Person Bio

Third-person bios sound more authoritative and objective. So, if you’re job searching in a formal industry, applying for grants, or trying to get published, you may want to stick to the third person.

For instance, when you write a third-person bio, you may start with:

"Jasmine Montgomery is a Senior Hiring Manager at L’Oreal based in New York. She recruits across several business units to connect with the brightest talent from around the globe."

By only using your name and pronouns to speak about yourself here, you are letting your title and skill set speak for themselves.

These bios create distance between the subject of the bio (you) and the reader through a third person. This person could be anyone, but they usually speak in a tone emphasizing their expertise.

This makes third-person bios feel aloof or overly formal sometimes.

Ideally, your third-person bio should sound friendly but polished, like a message from a close colleague at work. Here are a few tips on how to write a great third-person bio.

Write from the perspective of someone you know and trust.

It can be challenging to write about yourself, so try to see yourself from the perspective of your favorite person at work or a mentor you trust. This can help you write from a position of authority without feeling self-conscious.

Show the reader why they should trust your opinion.

A professional bio often reflects a specific industry or niche. With this in mind, your text should include relevant details that professionals in your industry know. Avoid jargon whenever you can.

Remember, you're telling a story.

If you want a third-person bio, but you're used to writing in first-person, it may help to write it the most comfortable way for you.

Your professional bio is an essential piece of writing, so edit it carefully. Edit your writing from both points of view and see which works best for your target audience.

Here's how to write a professional bio, step by step.

• 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.
• Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.

If you’re anything like me, you probably don't think about your professional bio until you’re asked to "send one over via email."

You have one afternoon to come up with it, so you scramble together a bio that ends up reading like this:

"Rodney Erickson is a content marketing professional at HubSpot, a CRM 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."

To be fair, in certain contexts, your professional bio needs to be more formal, like Mr. Erickson's up there. But there are also cases where writing a personable and conversational bio is good.

Whether you choose the formal or casual route, use the following steps to create a perfect bio.

1. Create an 'About' page for your website or profile.

You need an online space to keep your professional bio. Here are a few to consider (some of these you might already have in place):

• Facebook Business page .
• Industry blog byline .
• Instagram account .
• Personal website .
• LinkedIn profile .
• Industry website .
• Personal blog .

As you'll see in the professional bio examples below, the length and tone of your bio will differ depending on the platforms you use.

Instagram, for example, allows only 150 characters of bio space, whereas you can write as much as you want on your website or Facebook Business page.

2. Begin writing your bio with your first and last name.

If your readers remember nothing else about your bio, they should remember your name. Therefore, 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 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 you or a business you work for? Ensure you mention the brand you associate with in your bio. If you're a freelancer, you may 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 want its name to be separate from your real name. Keep it simple like this: "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 following few lines of your bio to describe what you do in that position. Refrain from assuming your audience knows what your job title entails.

Make your primary responsibilities known so readers can know you and understand what you offer to your industry.

5. Include at least one professional accomplishment.

Just as a business touts its client successes through case studies, your professional bio should let your audience know what you've 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 from your colleagues? What are the values that make your business a worthwhile investment to others?

Create a professional bio that answers these questions.

7. Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work.

Transition from describing your values in work to defining 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 people reading about you.

8. Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.

End your professional bio on a good or, more specifically, a funny note. By leaving your audience with something quirky or unique, you can ensure they'll leave your website with a pleasant impression of you.

Following the steps above when writing your bio is important, but take your time with one section. People consume lots of information daily. So ensure your bio hooks 'em in the first line, and you won’t lose them.

(P.S. Want to boost your professional brand? Take one of HubSpot Academy's free certification courses . In just one weekend, you can add a line to your resume and bio that over 60,000 marketers covet.)

Why Good Bios Are Important for a Professional

You may think, "How many people read professional bios, anyway?"

The answer: A lot. Though there's no way to tell who is reading it, you want it catchy. Your professional bio will delight the right people coming across it on multiple platforms.

Professional bios can live on your LinkedIn profile , company website, guest posts, speaker profiles, Twitter bio , Instagram bio , and many other places.

And most importantly, it‘s the tool you can leverage most when you’re networking.

Bottom line? People will read your professional bio. Whether they remember it or 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? Let‘s review a few sample bios for professionals like you and me. Then, we’ll cover bio examples from some of the best people in the industry.

Short Sample Bios

Your bio doesn't have to be complicated. Here are five samples to glean inspiration from.

Example 1: Friendly Sample Bio

"Hey! My name is Ryan, and I'm a marketing specialist passionate about digital advertising. I have five years of experience managing various online campaigns and improving brand visibility for clients across multiple verticals. I love analyzing consumer behavior and leveraging data-driven strategies to maximize ROI. Outside work, I enjoy traveling, taking funny photos, and exploring new hiking trails."

Example 2: Mid-Career Sample Bio

"Jennifer Patel is a versatile graphic designer known for her creative approach and attention to detail. With a background in visual arts and eight years of experience, Jennifer has worked on diverse projects ranging from logo designs to website layouts. Her ability to understand and translate client needs into visually striking designs sets her apart. Jennifer finds inspiration in nature, music, and pop culture."

Example 3: Sales Sample Bio

"I'm a seasoned sales executive with a track record of exceeding targets and building strong client relationships. With a background in B2B sales, I've built a natural ability to understand customer needs and consistently exceed quota every month. I pride myself in my communication skills and strategic approaches, which have helped me thrive in highly competitive markets such as SaaS sales. Outside work, I enjoy playing basketball and volunteering at local charities."

Example 4: HR Sample Bio

"I am a dedicated human resources professional with a passion for fostering a positive workplace culture and facilitating employee development. With eight years of experience in talent acquisition and HR operations, I've played a key role in building high-performing teams. I'm known for my strong interpersonal skills and ability to create inclusive and supportive work environments. In my free time, I enjoy practicing yoga and exploring new culinary experiences."

Example 5: Software Engineer Sample Bio

"David Chang is a senior software engineer specializing in backend development. With a strong background in computer science and six years of experience, David has successfully built scalable and efficient solutions for complex technical challenges. He is well-versed in various programming languages and frameworks like C++, Java, and Ruby on Rails. In his spare time, David enjoys reading science fiction novels and playing the guitar."

Below, we've curated some of the best professional bio examples we've ever seen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the various places you might describe yourself.

Check 'em out and use them as inspiration when crafting your own.

• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Author
• Chima Mmeje: SEO Content Writer
• DJ Nexus: DJ
• Lena Axelsson: Marriage & Family Therapist
• Mark Levy: Branding Firm Founder
• Audra Simpson: Political Anthropologist
• Marie Mikhail: Professional Recruiter
• Wonbo Woo: Executive Producer
• Chris Burkard: Freelance Photographer
• Lisa Quine: Creative Consultant
• Nancy Twine: Hair Care Founder
• Trinity Mouzon: Wellness Brand Founder
• Alberto Perez: Co-Founder of Zumba Fitness
• Ann Handley: Writer and Marketer

1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie : Author

Bio platform: personal website.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie begins her professional bio with an invitation to her roots.

In a few paragraphs, she describes when and where she was born, her family, her education, her honorary degrees, and the depth of her work, which has been translated into 30 languages and several publications.

She can keep readers engaged by leading with a powerful hook that aligns with her target audience’s marketing needs.

• There’s clarity about who Chima serves.
• The hook is bold, catchy, and compels anyone to read further.
• Including client results makes clients visualize what they can expect.

3. DJ Nexus : DJ

Bio platform: facebook.

This New England-based DJ has single-handedly captured the Likes of over 2,000 people in and beyond Boston, MA. And even if you don‘t listen to the type of music he produces, it’s hard not to read his compelling Facebook bio.

For instance, consider his tagline, under "About" — " Quiet during the day. QUITE LOUD at night! " DJ Nexus tells you when he works awesomely. I got goosebumps just imagining a dance club where he might play music.

The second is the "long version," which is even more interesting than the first. Why? It reads like a story — a compelling one, at that. In fact, it gets hilarious in some parts.

The second sentence of the bio reads: "He was frightened of public school, loved playing baseball and football, ran home to watch ape films on the 4:30 Movie, listened to The Jam and The Buzzcocks, and read magic trick books."

Here's another excerpt from the middle:

It's a well-put value proposition that sets her apart from the rest of the HR industry.

Marie concludes her bio with a smooth mix of professional skills, like her Spanish fluency, and personal interests, such as podcasting and Star Wars (she mentions the latter with just the right amount of humor).

• Straight off the bat, Marie uses a story to share her experiences of how she began as a recruiter.
• It provides a subtle pitch for readers to check out her podcast.
• The bio exudes Maries approachable, fun, and playful personality.

8. Wonbo Woo : Executive Producer

Wonbo Woo is the executive producer of WIRED's video content and has several impressive credits to his name. What does this mean for his professional bio? He has to prioritize.

With this in mind, Wonbo opens his bio with the most eye-catching details first (if the image below is hard to read, click it to see the full copy ).

I wouldn‘t necessarily be inclined to follow Chris if his bio had simply read, "I post beautiful images." But images that inspire me to travel? Now that’s something I can get behind.

Last, he ends on a humble, sweet note: "He is happiest with his wife Breanne raising their two sons." So inject personal information into your bio — it makes you seem approachable.

• It highlights Chris’s achievement without bragging.
• The last sentence portrays Chris as a responsible man who loves his family.
• The well-written bio speaks to nature lovers who like the outdoors, surfing, and more. This gives them reasons to follow Chris.

10. Lisa Quine : Creative Consultant

Bio platform: portfolio website.

Creative professionals who specialize in visual art may find it challenging to balance the writing of their bio and displaying of their portfolio. Not Lisa Quine. Lisa has an exceptional balance of her professional bio and creative work.

Throughout her bio, you'll notice the number of murals she's completed and a brief timeline of her career. This helps her paint the picture of who she is as a professional.

The rest of her bio similarly focuses on Twine's strengths as someone who’s able to take hair care "back to basics."

Mouzon effectively grips the reader's attention with this introduction and then dives into some of her impressive accomplishments — including a brand now sold at Urban Outfitters and Target.

The language used throughout Mouzon's bio is authentic, real, and honest.

For instance, in the second paragraph, she admits:

"While building a brand may have looked effortless from the outside, starting a business at age 23 with no resources or funding quickly forced me to realize that early-stage entrepreneurship was anything but transparent."

As an avid Zumba fan, I was excited to include this one. Perez styles his LinkedIn bio as a short story, starting with his background as a hard-working teen who held three jobs by age 14.

His bio tells the fun and fascinating origin story of Zumba, in which Perez, an aerobics teacher in Florida at the time, forgot his music for class and used a Latin music cassette tape instead ... "And it was an instant hit!"

His bio continues:

"Shortly after he was connected to Alberto Periman and Alberto Aghion, and Zumba was officially created ... What started as a dream now has 15 million people in more than 200,000 locations in 186 countries who take Zumba classes every week."

There's something in there for everyone.

• The last section of the bio shows Ann’s warm personality — "Ann lives in Boston, where she is Mom to creatures two- and four-legged."
• Written in the third person, this bio has lots of proof (like followers), which shows Ann is a terrific marketing leader.

If you're posting a bio on a social media account or sending a quick blurb to a client, you want to keep it short and sweet while showcasing your accomplishments.

To get started, use these best practices for writing your short professional bio:

• Introduce yourself.
• State what you do.
• Add key skills or areas of expertise.
• Include a personal mission statement
• Celebrate your wins.
• Provide your contact information.
• Show them your personality.

1. Introduce yourself.

Your introduction is your first impression, so always begin by telling people who you are. You may start with a greeting like, "Hello, my name is" or "Hi! Let me first introduce myself …" when sending your bio as a message.

If you’re writing a bio for an online platform, stating your name at the beginning works as well.

Leading with your name — even as a question — is important for recognition and building relationships.

2. State what you do.

Give people an idea of what you do daily and where you work. Your job title is how the people put you into context and consider whether your profession relates to their industry.

So detail your most relevant work in your short bios, like CEO, professor, and author.

Take a cue from Angela Duckworth , who specifies what she does in her LinkedIn bio:

3. Add key skills or areas of expertise.

If you send a bio to a client or potential employer, highlight your most valuable skills. For instance, if your expertise is in social media marketing and content creation, like Ivanka Dekoning , list these skills.

• A joke. "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. At least that’s what I learned when I created…"
• Mention a hobby. "I’ll be honest: for me, tennis is life — Go Nadal!"
• A fun fact. "Every year, I watch 100 new films! I’m a cinephile and love every movie genre."
• A few emojis related to your interests. "🎶🤖🎾🎬🎭"

Whichever way you choose to get personal, give people a glimpse into who you are as an individual.

When writing a short bio, it can be tempting to pack in as much relevant information about yourself as possible — but this isn’t the most effective approach.

Instead, focus on including the details that you and your audience care about most and leave out the fluff.

Let's dive into a few examples of short professional bios.

Short Professional Bio Examples

• Tristen Taylor: Marketing Manager
• Lianna Patch: Copywriter
• Precious Oboidhe: Content Strategist and Writer
• Rebecca Bollwitt: Writer
• Megan Gilmore: Cookbook Author
• Bea Dixon: Feminine Care Founder
• Tammy Hembrow: Instagram Influencer
• Dr. Cody: Chiropractor
• Larry Kim: Founder
• Dharmesh Shah: Founder and CTO
• Lily Ugbaja: Content Strategist
• Ian Anderson Gray: Marketer
• Van Jones: Political Commentator, Author, and Lawyer

1. Tristen Taylor: Marketing Manager

Bio platform: blog byline.

Tristen Taylor is a Marketing Manager here at HubSpot. She's written content for HubSpot's Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service blogs; her blog author bio is one of my favorites.

What I love most about Tristen's bio is that it’s a great example of how to deliver information about yourself that is relevant to your work while also sharing fun details that audiences will find relatable.

Her bio reads:

"Building from her experience with GoCo.io and Southwest Airlines, Tristen's work has been recognized by Marketing Brew and BLACK@INBOUND. She lives in Washington, DC, attending anime conventions and painting in her free time."

Gilmore further includes a CTA link within her Instagram bio that leads followers to free, ready-to-use recipes. You might think, " Why would she do that since it discourages people from buying her book?"

But that couldn't be further from the truth.

By giving her followers the chance to try out her recipes, she's slowly turning leads into customers. After I tried a few of her Instagram recipes and loved them, I bought her book, knowing I'd like more of what she offered.

• The bio is short and direct.
• The CTA link includes an invitation for people to join her newsletter. Meaning, she can build her email list.

6. Bea Dixon : Feminine Care Founder

Bea Dixon, Founder and CEO of The Honey Pot Company, efficiently uses the space on her Instagram profile to highlight who she is as a well-rounded human — not just a businesswoman.

For instance, while she highlights her girl boss attitude with a tiara emoji, she equally calls attention to her fashion interests (Free People), her pets, Boss and Sadie, and her love for ramen noodles.

What more do you need to know?

Ian doesn't take his bio too seriously but uses every character to highlight everything about him.

He includes his skills as a marketer and podcast host, who he is outside work as a dad, and what he can help you do. His smiles also give the bio a sense of humor and realness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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How to Write an Introduction to a Biography

Many nonfiction books begin with an introduction where the author writes about her motivation for addressing the topic of the book. Introductions can be humorous, intellectual, brief or thought-provoking. Whatever type of introduction you want to write, make sure you give it the same amount of attention as you did any other chapter. Biographies are one type of book that benefit greatly from a well-written introduction. Learning how to write an introduction to a biography is easy, although making it effective takes practice and perhaps many revisions.

Read the introductions of several of your favorite biographies, making notes about what subjects the author covers. What style of introduction do you relate to? What information do you feel is important to address? Every author will answer these questions differently.

Brainstorm all the topics that you want to include when you write the introduction. Think about why you are writing this particular biography and what impact the subject has had on your life or the lives of others.

Write a first draft of your introduction, avoiding editing. Just let the words flow. By censoring and second-guessing yourself at this stage, you may be causing a problem that many people refer to as writer's block.

Read over your introduction, noting areas that you want to revise. Correct spelling and grammatical mistakes.

Ask a trusted friend or fellow writer to serve as a helpful critic, or beta reader, on one of your early drafts. The job of a beta reader is to read a draft and offer constructive criticism. A fresh pair of eyes can often catch mistakes that you may have missed or make helpful recommendations.

Continue the editing and revision process until you feel confident with your end product.

• Use anecdotes to make your introduction interesting and to capture the attention of the audience.

Kimberly A. Smith has been a freelance writer for two years. She graduated from the University of California at Davis and the California Culinary Academy, then pursued a career baking wedding cakes. During her time at CCA, she received certification in nutrition and food safety. She currently attends the University of Oregon School of Law.

University of Notre Dame

Europe in the World

The Arc of Human Life as an Introduction to Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Theological Contributions

Published: April 24, 2024

Author: Megan Heeder

Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) was a Swiss theologian who was a prolific author, writing over 500 essays and articles and publishing 85 books. While impressive not only in quantity, but also in depth, his theological contributions were shaped by more than erudite reflections. His work as a student chaplain in Basel, Switzerland and friendship with Adrienne von Speyr heavily shaped his theology.

Balthasar’s Life Out of Death serves as a study-in-miniature of the major themes of his sixteen-volume Trilogy, a three-part systematic theological exploration of Christ as beauty, goodness, and truth. Life Out of Death is as accessible in its manner of writing and size as the corpus of Balthasar’s work is dense and extensive. In it, Balthasar takes the course of a human life as his inspiration for meditations on how the Paschal Mystery (the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ) changes the nature of not only human death, but existence itself. Tracing how Christ’s Paschal Mystery fits within and transforms the arc of human life both serves as an introduction to Balthasar’s treatment of Christian themes and offers insights on how he draws rich theological conclusions from something as ordinary as the human life cycle.

Birth: Theological Anthropology

Life begins when a child is born, and realizes the miracle of her existence and acceptance into the world through her mother’s smile. As the child grows, she realizes within her development distinct truths about herself, the world, and others. Eventually, she asks herself what she wants to achieve in life. At this point, Balthasar observes the meeting of the eternal and transitory in the desire to create something permanent that transcends time, something which is a reflection of one’s personal uniqueness. He notes that part of being human is resisting the transitory state of the world through love or achievement, or both. Illustrating the everyday, yet remarkable nature of Balthasar’s theology, this point is not only a theological one. It is something which nearly every young person can relate to as they become aware of themselves as a person in the world, longing to make a difference in the lives of others and to push back against the injustices with their own achievement, love story, or unique existence. Balthasar once observed what is true today: that to exist is to grapple with the question of what matters most in one’s life, how to spend one’s time, and what one wishes to leave behind in pursuit of what matters.

What Will I Offer the World? The Unity of Divine Mission and Christian Serenity

As one seeks to answer these questions, they ask themselves what is worthy of their assent–that is, what do they want to say “yes” to, as they implicitly say “no” to the thousands of other lives they could live? This “yes,” Balthasar says, requires letting go of one’s self. It is in this letting-go that one finds oneself. This is true for Balthasar not only because of philosophical conclusions, but because of the mission of Jesus. One of Balthasar’s theological claims throughout his work is that Jesus’s mission is not external to Him, something He assents to and subsequently takes up. Rather, Jesus and His mission are one. His work of reconciling the world to God is who He is. He brings the eternal “into the field of the world” so that “the Kingdom of God [might] spring up in this field” (35). The eternal breaks into the temporal in the life of Christ. Christ’s life not only enacts reconciliation between God and humanity, but is God’s reconciliation with the world.

Like any person who wonders what their life will contribute to the world, Jesus is challenged by the work of doing something definitive within the transitory nature of human existence. Balthasar points to Christ’s death as the act which makes this paradox possible; because Christ died, our deaths have already taken place within him. What he has done is transferred eucharistically into us. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, Christian serenity is possible. Our impending death need not worry us. Balthasar assures us that we are safe in the hands of the Father, who “will catch us in his fatherly hands, even if together with Jesus we feel ourselves abandoned, even if we seem to sink into a bottomless abyss.” (41)

One might ask what will come of the work we do in the world. Balthasar observes that insofar as we surrendered ourselves to the tasks we did, doing them not for our own glory or gain, the work that we have done on earth will be preserved. Such work mirrors the obedient surrender of Christ. It is only in this giving-away of self that transient tasks can be brought to fruition, the power to love is unleashed, and the human person imitates both the mission and person of Christ so that their death can be perfected.

Love is as Strong as Death

The question of the legacy one will leave behind often intensifies as one realizes they will not live forever. Balthasar focuses intensely on the fact that Good Friday is not immediately followed by Easter Sunday’s Resurrection–rather, Holy Saturday lies in between them, a period of what Balthasar terms “letting oneself be taken.” Balthasar’s emphasis on Christ’s descent into Hell and what He endures there is one of his theology’s more controversial points.

The Resurrection does not heal Christ’s wounds. Balthasar notes that Christ’s opened heart–what he terms “the most deadly” of all of His wounds–remains open in the final life of the Resurrection. The peace He offers is that which death’s transfigured peace has entered, a peace accessible because He incorporated universal death into His own personal aliveness. In losing Himself in death, Christ brought about and made possible our, as well as His own and the Church’s, utmost aliveness.

Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter, and the Ascension are all inextricably connected in Balthasar’s view–in Christ, in the Church’s liturgical life, and in the life of individuals. The interconnection of death and life within the cycle of human life is much the same–a single day can be marked by literal or metaphorical deaths, births, and moments of surrender that can become glorified when united with those of Jesus.

In the end, Balthasar says, life and death are united in mission. But, he warns, their intertwined transformation takes place on the condition that one not forget how dark a life of self-abandonment can be if resistances to love are to be overcome, and themselves transfigured. But hope of this transfiguration persists as the communion of saints sings that “love is strong as death” (Song 8:6f).

Suggested further reading:

Balthasar, Hans Urs von. Engagement with God. Translated by R. John Halliburton. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2008.

Balthasar, Hans Urs von. Life Out of Death: Meditations on the Paschal Mystery. Translated by Martina Stockl. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012.

Balthasar, Hans Urs von. Love Alone is Credible. Translated by D.C. Schindler. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004.

Balthasar, Hans Urs von. Mysterium Paschale. Translated by Aidan Nichols. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1993.

Nichols, Aidan. A Key to Balthasar: Hans Urs von Balthasar on Beauty, Goodness, and Truth. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011.

About the author

Megan Heeder holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Marquette University. Her area of specialty is in Systematics and Ethics, particularly engaging resources from the Catholic intellectual tradition to develop a moral theological approach to eating disorders in a digital age, including Balthasar’s theological aesthetics.

An Opportunity to Lead: The Value of an MBA

Monday, Apr 22, 2024 • Jeremiah Valentine : [email protected]

Introduction and Benefits of an MBA

Attaining a Master of Business Administration Degree from The University of Texas at Arlington is a way to level up your professional career. With an MBA students develop an understanding of multiple pieces of an organization. Students typically pursue an MBA because they want to advance to the next level in their career. An MBA allows students to move from a skill-based position to a leadership role. “In business you never have all the answers, but you have tools to pursue something that you may think works as a solution,” said James Brown, a Graduate Recruiter at the College of Business. According to the Harvard Business Review, graduates often land positions that place them on an accelerated path of leadership; an MBA degree can set you apart during the hiring process from fellow applicants. Becoming a leader requires a different skillset including advanced communication, strategic thinking and planning abilities, or maximizing personnel potential. An MBA degree develops these diverse skills to find solutions in any situation or industry. “You start to understand the bigger picture of how organizations work.” said James. The MBA program at UTA allows students to learn and utilize these tools in a social setting. You will gain valuable insight and knowledge from your professors and classmates who have experience in different industries, creating a unique classroom dynamic. U.S. News & World Report stated, “There is no other degree that provides the launching pad to many different possibilities to chart your next career destiny.” Recently, the College of Business’s Part-Time MBA was nationally ranked # 60 out of 269 in 2024 on the list of top graduate schools by U.S. News & World Report.

Insider Perspective

I spoke to Scott Elbert, Director of Undergraduate Advising, about UTA’s MBA degree. He highlighted the different ways students could earn the degree and how it is still extremely valuable in today’s workforce.  Scott spoke about the relevancy of the degree and skills you can expect to learn, “I think an MBA is still extremely relevant. Generally speaking, people look at the MBA as your general business degree, a jack of all trades. The MBA gives students a blend of soft skills including sales and negotiations; gaining the ability to analyze data and finance spreadsheets for accounting. You get a great mix of all those different skills that will prepare you to go into a number of different roles.” UTA’s MBA degree offers students 13 different concentrations allowing for specialization. Students can also earn a graduate certificate after the completion of certain courses; maximizing their marketability while completing their MBA.

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Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast will take listeners on a revelatory and surprising journey through the years of the American Civil War, bringing it to life by exploring and discovering the people, the places, and the events – as if we didn't know how it would all turn out.

Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast Scott Holmgren

• 5.0 • 5 Ratings
• APR 20, 2024

S1E2 – The Father of All

What caused the American Civil War? Better yet, what caused the causes? In order to discover the answers, it’s essential to explore the context of the United States at the time… How had the country changed since its independence in 1776? What foundations had it been built upon? What growing pains affected not just the government but also the citizenry? And how did leaders attempt to deal with the one issue that just couldn’t be swept under the rug?  Recommended Booklist Adams, James Truslow. The Rise of the Union. Vol. 1 of The March of Democracy: A History of the United States. 7 vols. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1932-1955. Catton, Bruce. The Coming Fury. New York: Doubleday, 1961. Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. New York: Vintage Books, 2000. Hanson, Victor Davis. The Father of Us All. New York: Bloomsbury, 2010. Heidler, David S. & Jeanne T. Henry Clay: The Essential American. New York: Random House, 2010. Larson, Edward J. A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America’s First Presidential Campaign. New York: Free Press, 2007. McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Rasmussen, Dennis C. Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America’s Founders. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021. Reynolds, David S. Waking Giant: America in the Age of Jackson. New York: HaperCollins, 2008. Season 1 Episode 2 – The Father of All Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast is a production of Waveland Creative. Host: Scott Holmgren Check out our website at http://www.breakingnation.com

• 1 hr 22 min

S1E1 – Introduction

“History never looks like history when you are living through it,” said John W. Gardner, US cabinet secretary. Too often we look at history as names, dates and information, but for those who had to live through it, they had no idea what was going to happen. So let’s consider the American Civil War – without spoilers. As we begin Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast, let’s consider several questions: How do we look at the American Civil War? What inspired the creation of this podcast? Why is learning from history so important? What can be expected in episodes to come? Season 1 Episode 1 – Introduction Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast is a production of Waveland Creative. Host: Scott Holmgren Check out our website at http://www.breakingnation.com

• © 2024 Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast

Customer Reviews

Great study.

Whether you are a Civil War enthusiast, scholar, or new to the spectacular events of this period in our nation’s history - Scott Holmgren’s podcast is a great way to expand your knowledge of this era. Great insight and thought provoking commentary helps bring to life these events. Enjoy.

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Santa Fe College to Host Mind Body Life Mental Health Symposium

News from Santa Fe College

Introduction

April 25, 2024 – On Friday, May 10, Santa Fe College will host the Mind Body Life Mental Health Symposium. Representatives from the institutions within the Florida College System are invited to attend the event that is focused on student mental health.

Under the leadership of Chancellor Kathy Hebda, Santa Fe College received generous funding from the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health to create a toolkit that provides practical guidance to college administrators concerned about student mental health. The toolkit offers strategies for increasing:

• Mental health awareness and wellness
• Access to mental health care and
• The College’s capacity to support mental wellness

Each attendee will receive the toolkit on a flash drive. Users do not have to read this toolkit in chronological order. Instead, they can be guided by the Table of Contents, which lists each tool within one of the four main categories. In this manner, users may focus on the areas and the tools that are most relevant to their institutions.

According to Dr. Naima Brown, who led the Mind Body Life Mental Health Initiative, “Our goal is to provide every attendee with tools to replicate what we were able to do at Santa Fe College. One of the most valuable tools are all the files associated with our multi-media awareness campaign. Then we have materials that can be dropped in a learning management system to increase student resilience. There is also a workbook for high school seniors preparing for college. And there is so much more.”

The program includes a welcome from SF President Broadie, a call to prioritize student mental health from the chancellor, an overview of the toolkit and a keynote on student mental health from Dr. Ernesto Escoto, University of Florida, Interim Associate Vice President of Health and Wellbeing & Executive Director Counseling and Wellness Center. The conference will also feature presentations on a Peer Mental Health Ambassador program, a review of college policies and their impact on students, as well as considerations for wellness programs.

Screen Rant

10 best ways fallout season 1 brings the video games to life.

Fallout season 1 includes many characters, storylines, and locations from the games, as well as several ways of bringing actual gameplay to life.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Fallout season 1.

• Fallout season 1 includes several direct references to gameplay elements of the Fallout games, showing fidelity to the source material.
• The Fallout franchise's S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats are referenced through Lucy's opening montage and Thaddeus' poor aim in Fallout season 1.
• Fallout season 1's squire bags represent player companions holding items in Fallout games, and several quotes such as The Ghoul's Wasteland rule and "war never changes" sum up the game franchise's themes and gameplay elements.

Fallout season 1 brings the games to life in many ways, but 10 that stand out reference actual gameplay elements of the franchise. Perhaps the most overt way Prime Video's TV show links to the franchise is by adapting the world of Fallout with a lot of fidelity. From the characters, creatures, weapons, locations, and the tone of the story, it is clear by Fallout season 1's ending that the creators know the world of the games well and have adapted it with relative ease.

These methods of bringing the Fallout games to life are what to be expected by modern video game adaptations. Other shows like The Last of Us and Arcane , two of the best-ranked video game TV adaptations , used similar techniques. However, what sets Fallout apart is the way Prime Video's show brings the games to life by referencing direct gameplay elements of the various Fallout installments. Shows like The Last of Us and Arcane did this to an extent, though Fallout season 1's gameplay references seemed more prevalent across the show's eight episodes .

Fallout Season 2: Confirmation & Everything We Know

10 lucy’s s.p.e.c.i.a.l. stats in fallout episode 1, lucy's episode 1 introduction references an iconic basis of fallout game characters..

In Fallout season 1, Lucy MacLean is first introduced via a montage. In this montage, Lucy - played by Ella Purnell in the Fallout show's ensemble cast - is outlining her skills, hobbies, and interests to a council in Vault 33 in the hopes that she is permitted to marry a resident of Vault 32. While the montage works as an introduction to Lucy's character, the vibe of the Vaults, and the beginning of Fallout season 1's story, it also links to the games as the player usually begins Fallout games in the same way by picking their S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats.

Through Lucy's montage, Fallout season 1 outlines her own S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats. Lucy mentions that she often fixes the mechanical aspects of the Vault, tying loosely to the Strength statistic of the games. She also mentions that she likes science and relishes her speech skills, linking to Intelligence and Charisma respectively. Lucy's gymnastics can be applied to Fallout 's Agility and Endurance, while her fencing and "phys-ed" skills can apply to Strength, Agility, and Endurance Finally, Lucy demonstrates that she is proficient in Riflery, linking to Fallout 's Perception skill.

9 Squire’s Carrying Knight’s Equipment In Fallout Season 1

The squires' service of the brotherhood of steel's knights emulates a core fallout gameplay mechanic..

One of the more comedic aspects of Fallout season 1 where the Brotherhood of Steel is concerned is the cartoonishly large bags of equipment carried by squires. Maximus is shown carrying one of these comically huge bags for knight Titus before Thaddeus subsequently does the same for Maximus. These bags hold vital equipment such as weapons, ammo, food, and medicine so that the knights of the Brotherhood can survive in the Wasteland.

Fallout’s Brotherhood Of Steel Explained: Origin, Beliefs & Power Armor

While these bags make sense, the hilariously large proportions of them poke fun at companions in Fallout games. In more recent Fallout installments, players have been known to dump consumables, weapons, armor, and other vital items on their companions to save carry weight for more things found throughout the Wasteland. The huge bags in Fallout season 1 were likely a reference to this, with the knights' companions carrying their vital equipment as companions do for players in the games.

8 Thaddeus Missing His Gunshots In Fallout Episode 7

Thaddeus' poor aim emulates a low perception build from later fallout games..

In Fallout episode 7, Thaddeus is confronted by Lucy and Maximus. In a bid to defend Wilzig's head so that he can take it back to the Brotherhood of Steel, Thaddeus unloads his gun in Lucy and Maximus' direction in what is seemingly a shocking twist for the show. However, it is revealed that Thaddeus misses every single shot, despite being relatively close to the two targets.

This could be what Thaddeus' poor aim is in reference to, bringing a low Perception build to life.

This is similar to Lucy's introduction in Fallout episode 1 as a method of bringing the game to life. Thaddeus missing every single shot could link to his character having low Perception stats from Fallout 's S.P.E.C.I.A.L. scale. Low perception, at least in later games like Fallout 4 , causes low accuracy with ranged weapons when aiming at specific areas of an enemy. This could be what Thaddeus' poor aim is in reference to, bringing a low Perception build to life.

7 Maximus’ Vault Food Improving His Mood & Health

Vault 4's consumables give maximus the feel of a fallout character..

For much of Fallout episode 6, Maximus' story surrounds him experiencing the safety of one of Fallout 's many protective Vaults . From the wonders of TV and showers to the food provided by Vault-Tec, Maximus experiences true luxury for the first time in his life. Fallout episode 6 shows Maximus experiencing these elements, portraying him as being almost in a trance with an improved mood and health.

This emulates the Fallout games, specifically through the use of food. In Fallout games, food is used as a primary source of regaining hit points , with player characters often using Vault-Tec food items repetitively. This improves the health of the player character, almost as the food in Vault 4 does with Maximus in Fallout episode 6. Maximus' improved health and mood are likened to the use of food in Fallout games, bringing the interactive ways of the franchise to life in a new medium.

6 The Ownership Of Fallout’s Power Armor

Fallout's season 1's power armor has similar ownership rules to the game series..

In Fallout season 1, several people own Maximus' power armor at different times. Initially, knight Titus is in possession of the armor. It eventually is passed to Maximus, though a group of raiders tries to steal it outside Filly. Later, Thaddeus takes control of the power armor before it is returned to Maximus and then given back to an anointed knight in the Brotherhood of Steel for the final battle at the Griffith Observatory.

This links to the way power armor is often found in Fallout games. For the most part, especially in Fallout 4 , suits of power armor can simply be found throughout the Wasteland. This essentially underlines the ownership of power armor as finder's keepers, something that translates to Fallout season 1 too. Rather than the armor belonging to a single person throughout the show, it is regularly passed around as it is in the games,

5 The Ghoul’s Fallout Quote In Episode 3

The ghoul sums up fallout games perfectly in season 1..

Fallout episode 3 pits Lucy and The Ghoul together for the first time, with the two fighting over Wilzig's head. Lucy needs the head to bargain with Moldaver over her father, while The Ghoul's motivations are left unclear. Regardless, the two engage in a lot of verbal sparring throughout the episode, resulting in a quote from Walton Goggins' The Ghoul that perfectly sums up the Fallout franchise.

The Ghoul shows little patience for this, and tells Lucy that "the Wasteland's got its own golden rule: thou shalt get sidetracked by bullshit every goddamn time."

Lucy tries to win The Ghoul over with her golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." However, The Ghoul shows little patience for this, and tells Lucy that "the Wasteland's got its own golden rule: thou shalt get sidetracked by bullshit every goddamn time." This quote perfectly sums up the Fallout games. Many players will agree that Fallout 's many open-world maps present a lot of diversity in what to tackle, from quests and side quests to hideouts, caves, and cities. This makes distractions common in Fallout , something The Ghoul's words bring to life.

4 Fallout’s Characters Using RadAway

Lucy's usage of radaway brings a common fallout game element to tv..

In Fallout games, areas of the map are often irradiated. Similarly, some creatures deal radiation damage, and some food can do the same. This contributes to the player character's radiation levels in Fallout games, which need to be regulated in order to ensure the player survives. The primary way in which this is regulated is via the use of RadAway, an item that can be consumed to reduce the radiation levels of the player characters.

In Fallout season 1, Lucy drinks irradiated water when traversing the Wasteland with The Ghoul. This is later shown to affect her when she meets Maximus, with the latter using RadAway to restore Lucy's strength. This dynamic is something that will be familiar to Fallout game fans, as it mimics the use of RadAway in the game series.

3 Fallout 4’s Main Theme Is Used

The main musical theme of fallout 4 transports viewers into the world of the games..

More so than most other aspects of filmmaking, musical scores can transport viewers to other worlds. The music of the Fallout show, composed by Ramin Djawadi, is majoritively successful in this way. The music emulates a post-apocalyptic wasteland, though many would agree that Fallout 's musical strength more often than not lies within its soundtrack as opposed to its musical score.

Fallout Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play

That said, Fallout episode 6 utilizes its musical score to perfection . When Lucy is investigating Vault 4, she finds a flag of the New California Republic. As she does so, Djawadi uses the main theme for Fallout 4 to instantly transport familiar viewers back to the world of the games. The theme blares as the flag of the NCR is shown as it is one of the core factions from the Fallout games , providing yet another way for Fallout season 1 to bring the world of the game franchise to live-action.

2 Finding Dogmeat In A Red Rocket Gas Station

A classic fallout 4 meeting is repeated in fallout season 1 via dogmeat..

In Fallout episode 7, the character of Dogmeat is passed from Thaddeus to The Ghoul. Dogmeat is placed in a small container by Thaddeus so that the latter can return to the Brotherhood of Steel without the former following him. This small container is located at a Red Rocket gas station, where The Ghoul later tracks Thaddeus. The Ghoul frees Dogmeat, allowing the canine to become his companion for the remainder of the season.

This is a direct reference to Fallout 4 's Dogmeat, bringing the games to life with an on-the-nose reference for fans of the fourth installment. The Fallout show's Dogmeat being found in a Red Rocket gas station is almost identical to how the player character meets Dogmeat in Fallout 4 . The canine can be found fighting off monsters at a Red Rocket gas station near the beginning of Fallout 4 's story, proving Fallout season 1 to have a direct connection with one of its game counterparts.

1 Fallout Season 1 References War Never Changes

War never changes is a common fallout phrase..

Undoubtedly the biggest video game Easter egg in the Fallout show comes in the final episode of season 1. In flashbacks, Barb is shown explaining Vault-Tec's plans to create a true monopoly using their values, as "war never changes," meaning eradicating Earth of people not controlled by Vault-Tec will stop unchanging wars from occurring. The Ghoul later utters the same words when talking to Hank and Lucy in Fallout season 1's finale, linking to an iconic video game element.

Fallout season 1's usage of this phrase brings the games to life in arguably the biggest way, as it typifies the messages and themes of the franchise...

The words "war never changes" have been used in the prologue of every Fallout game , and serve as a core theme of the franchise. Fallout season 1's usage of this phrase brings the games to life in arguably the biggest way, as it typifies the messages and themes of the franchise in TV format. Through this one quote, the world of Fallout is translated perfectly, atop the many other ways the franchise's various game elements are brought to life in Fallout season 1.

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Based on the video game franchise of the same name, Fallout is a drama series set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. The series follows the survivors of the human race in an alternate 1950s timeline, where nuclear war laid waste to the Earth, spawning large irradiated areas and mutated humans who now roam the planet.