How To Write A Programmer Bio (With 6 Examples)

If writing hundreds of lines of complicated code sounds more appealing than writing a short paragraph about yourself, join the club. Writing a succinct bio that encapsulates who you are and what you’ve accomplished is tricky. But with a few strategies, even the most writing-averse programmers can pull it off.

Working in tech, there are situations where you might need a professional bio — for example, if you’re speaking on a panel, making your personal resume website, or joining a new team. Your bio doesn’t need to be a memoir or your resume in paragraph-form, but it should be a blurb that summarizes your accomplishments and reflects your personality.

Here’s an example of a bio we wrote for a programmer we’ll call “Codey”:

Hi, I’m Codey! I’m a web developer with in-depth experience in UI/UX design. In a nutshell, I create websites that help organizations address business challenges and meet their needs. I manage everything from website navigation and layout to a company’s web hosting and security architecture. My expertise lies within front-end web apps, and the main languages in my tech stack are JavaScript, React, and of course HTML/CSS. I’m a lifelong learner (currently taking a course on building AI chatbots with Python!) and love to read, run, and find new bubble tea shops in New York City.

Inspired but still not sure where to start? Here are five simple tips that will help you craft a professional bio — even if you absolutely hate writing.

Make a list of your skills

The first thing you should do is write a list of all of your skills, says Cairo Amani, a career strategist in Seattle who specializes in helping tech professionals. This includes technical skills, like the programming languages and frameworks you know, as well as soft skills, like collaboration or leadership. Check out our professional skills courses if you need help building soft skills you can highlight in your bio.

You’ve probably picked up skills in your previous roles that are worth highlighting in a bio, Cairo says. For instance, maybe you honed solid communication skills working in customer service, or perhaps your childcare experience taught you to solve problems on your feet.

“If you have an unconventional background, and you just learned coding and you haven’t been doing it your whole life, then those bullet points of transferable skills are going to be so important,” Cairo says.

(FYI: Trying to recall all of your past accomplishments in one sitting can be tough. Cairo has a “work journal” that she uses regularly to keep track of work-related achievements, feedback, praise, personal pep talks, and other reflections. “That way, when it’s time for me to write about what I do or what I bring to the table, I have evidence,” she says.)

Delete anything you don’t want to do

Now that you have a list of your skills, it’s time to edit it so that you’re only focusing on what you want to do, rather than everything that you have done in the past. “To be very clear: Skills are not duties,” Cairo says. In other words, performing tasks that are within your job description might not be where your passion and expertise really lies.

Think about how you want your capabilities to shine through in your bio. For example, if you used to spend 40-plus hours a week sorting customer files, what that really means is that you have organizational skills and are good at creating and managing systems.

Be mindful of your audience

“Once you have your bullet points, that’s when you start to focus on tone, structure, and the story you’re telling in your bio,” Cairo says. It helps to think about who will be reading this bio. A recruiter browsing LinkedIn? Your coworkers at a new organization? Someone you met at a networking event?

Adjust how formal or casual you are in your writing style based on your audience. In some contexts, like on a personal resume website, “you might want to show a little bit more personality,” Cairo says. On the other hand, for a bio that will be published in a company’s “about” section, you might need to be more straightforward, she says.

You should also decide whether you want to write your bio in first person (like, I’m a web developer) or third person perspective (like, Codey is a web developer). Both are acceptable, but first person bios tend to be more casual and conversational, whereas third person ones are more formal.

Talk it out

Sometimes the easiest way to write something that sounds authentic to you is to talk it out instead. Use a speech-to-text dictation tool on your computer (Microsoft Word and Google Docs have this feature built in) and introduce yourself. How would you describe what you do to someone who doesn’t know anything about coding? Using the transcription as a starting point, you can edit in other important details.

Use AI for your first draft

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT can help you break through writer’s block and produce a first draft to work with and refine. Feed ChatGPT your resume and details about your experience, and write a prompt that will deliver a bio in the specifications that you need. Remember to be specific about the writing tone you want to convey.

This is just one way you can use ChatGPT for networking and hunting for a job. Check out our free case study Streamline Resume Creation with Generative AI to learn how to write a resume that’s tailored to a job description.

Read other bios for inspo

If you’re drawing a blank trying to write something from scratch, look at other people’s bios for inspiration, Cairo says. “Just start mixing and matching so you end up editing something into a bio,” she says. You’ll notice how there are some standard ways people structure their bios or weave in facts about themselves to showcase the person behind the list of skills.

Obviously, you have to be truthful — copying someone’s bio verbatim or lying about your experience is not the move. The point is to “give yourself a chance to find some inspiration, and have some fun with your bio, instead of assuming it’s a chore,” Cairo says.

Examples of self-taught developer bios

Front-End Developer bio

Hi, I’m Hilda, a front-end developer with a background in graphic design. After spending a decade in the advertising industry, became interested in the technical side of web design and I decided to transition to web development. Through Codecademy, I honed my skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React. Today, I work at a mid-sized tech company where I collaborate with Designers and Back-End Developers to create responsive and visually appealing web applications. My goal is to become a Full-Stack Developer and eventually lead a development team.

Data Scientist bio

Ze is a Data Scientist at a fintech startup, leveraging his extensive background in accounting to analyze financial trends and build predictive models. After 12 years in the accounting field, he transitioned to data science to pursue his fascination with data analytics. James gained his skills through Codecademy’s comprehensive courses in Python, SQL, and data visualization. He is passionate about using data to drive business decisions and aims to deepen his expertise in machine learning to tackle more complex predictive analytics projects.

Machine Learning Engineer bio

Hello, I’m Young Ju, a machine learning engineer with a background in computer science. My journey into machine learning began after completing my degree. I was inspired by the incredible advancements in AI, and using Codecademy, I learned Python and specialized in machine learning with courses on TensorFlow and Scikit-Learn. Currently, I work at a tech giant, developing and optimizing machine learning models for applications such as image recognition and natural language processing. I’m passionate about contributing to open-source AI projects and hope to publish my own research in the future.

Full-Stack Developer bio

Maria is a full-stack web developer at a small tech startup, known for her versatility and creativity. Starting her programming journey in high school, Maria built a solid foundation in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. She completed Codecademy’s Full-Stack Engineer career path, which equipped her with the skills to handle both front-end and back-end development. Maria is currently focused on enhancing her expertise in DevOps and cloud computing to improve the scalability of the applications she builds.

Junior Developer bio

Hi, I’m Lukas, an aspiring software developer based in Austin, Texas. Although I didn’t attend college, I’ve always been passionate about technology and coding. To pursue my career in tech, I took a proactive approach and used Codecademy to learn programming. I started with foundational courses in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and then advanced to Python and Java. I recently completed Codecademy’s Full-Stack Engineer career path, which provided me with hands-on experience in both front-end and back-end development. In addition to coding, I love hiking and exploring the beautiful trails around Austin. I’m currently seeking an entry-level position where I can apply my skills and continue to grow as a developer. I’m particularly excited about joining a dynamic team that values continuous learning and innovation.

Still figuring out what type of career in tech is best for you? We have lots of tools that can help you develop your technical skills and get job-ready — from the details recruiters look for in a LinkedIn profile to how to answer tough interview questions. Be sure to check out our Career Center for portfolio projects and more resources that will help you find a job you love.

This blog was originally published in June 2022 and has been updated to include additional example bios and tips.