A LinkedIn summary is a great way of telling your story. It gives you a chance to share your strengths and what value you can bring to others, as well as highlighting any valuable job experience and skills we can add to our professional profile. However, many people make the mistake of using their LinkedIn summary as just a place to dump in content. There’s no reason to be boring with our summary, so in this blog post I am going to outline 14 things we should avoid when writing a LinkedIn profile description. 1. Keep it short. Most people find that writing on LinkedIn can be quite time-consuming, especially if for some reason you need to change or check the way you are saying something. The best thing about writing a strong profile is being resourceful. By tracking down others’ feedback on how you wrote your summary and suggestions on how you could improve it, you will get more feedback on how useful your profile is perceived as than posting an excerpt of it alone. These days, brevity is the soul of wit (and also efficiency).
What to do before you start writing your LinkedIn summary
Your LinkedIn summary is the first thing people see when they visit your profile. It’s the first impression you make on people who are searching for you or considering whether to connect with you.
Your summary should be short, sweet and relevant to your target employers. Here are some ideas on how to write it:
Write down what you want people to know about you, then edit it down to its essence. Don’t try to include everything about yourself in one paragraph; instead, focus on one or two key points that show off your unique value proposition.
Include keywords that relate to your target job title. If you are a marketing manager looking for a marketing position, for example, use words like “marketing,” “management” and “digital marketing strategy” in your summary statement. That way recruiters who are searching LinkedIn for candidates in those fields will see your profile first when they search for those terms on LinkedIn.
Keep it short — around 100 words is ideal — but include enough information so that readers can understand why they should hire you based on what they read there alone.
Write a catchy headline.
Your headline should be short — just two lines at most — but it needs to be compelling enough to make people want to read more about you. The ideal headline will include a few key words that describe what you do best and why it matters.
Make sure your headline includes keywords from relevant industries or skill sets so it appears in search results when people are looking for professionals like you.
How to write a good LinkedIn summary
You may have heard that your LinkedIn summary is the first thing recruiters see when they look at your profile. The summary is a short, professional-looking paragraph that highlights your skills and accomplishments.
But it’s also much more than that — it’s an opportunity to showcase your personality and what makes you unique!
Here are some tips for writing a good LinkedIn summary:
Be yourself – Don’t try to sound like someone else. If you’re funny, be funny; if you’re serious, be serious; if you’re sarcastic, be sarcastic. The point is that nobody wants to hire someone who doesn’t fit their culture or corporate personality – they want someone who will fit right in.
Use numbers – Numbers help readers quickly grasp the scope or magnitude of something and make it easier for them to understand how much effort went into building your experience. For example, say you worked on a special project with three other people; this is easier for readers to understand than just saying “I worked on a special project.” They may not know how big or important the project was until they hear the number of people involved (and then they’ll think “Wow, that must have been huge!”).
How long should a LinkedIn summary be?
LinkedIn allows you to display up to 2,000 characters in your profile summary. This is the main text box on your LinkedIn profile, and it’s the first thing recruiters see when they visit your page.
But that doesn’t mean you need to fill all 2,000 characters with text. In fact, most people don’t. The average length of a LinkedIn summary is around 500 words — so if you’re running over that, you may want to consider trimming down.
Use action verbs and quantify results
The best way to write an efficient LinkedIn summary is by using action verbs and quantifying results. These two elements will help recruiters understand exactly what it is you do and why they should hire you for their company or business:
Use action verbs: Instead of writing “I am responsible for,” use active verbs such as “managed,” “ran” or “developed.” For example, instead of saying “I have experience managing customer service,” say something like “Managed a team of customer service representatives for our company.”
Quantify results: Don’t just say that you were responsible for increasing sales by 20 percent — say how much sales increased by (20 percent). This gives recruiters a clearer idea about you.
How to format a LinkedIn summary
LinkedIn recommends that you limit your summary to three short paragraphs. Start with a sentence that summarizes your most significant professional accomplishment or achievement. This sentence should immediately catch the reader’s attention by describing something impressive that you’ve done in your career. Next, list your relevant job titles, responsibilities and achievements in each position you’ve held. Finally, end with a sentence that highlights an additional strength or skill that relates directly to the job you’re seeking (e.g., “I’m also proficient in managing P&Ls, implementing best practices and developing growth strategies.”)
When it comes to writing a LinkedIn summary, there are a few things you must do. First, you need to have a hook that makes your profile stand out from all the others. Write about your accomplishments, but more importantly, write about how those accomplishments relate to the company and industry you are targeting.
Second, make sure your summary is short and concise. Don’t go into too much detail in this section; it will just make your profile seem long-winded and unfocused. You want to show off your skills and accomplishments but also keep it simple enough so that people can quickly scan through the information.
Third, proofread and edit your work carefully before sending it off into cyberspace. Make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors because if there are, then potential employers may assume that you do not take pride in your work or care about details — which is not something you want them thinking about!
Tips on how to write a good LinkedIn summary
But writing a killer LinkedIn summary can be tricky. You want it to be engaging, informative and professional — all at once. To help, we’ve put together these tips on how to write a good LinkedIn summary:
Use your most important keywords in the first sentence of the profile summary. This is crucial because it will help you rank higher in search results for those keywords. Make sure that the keywords are relevant and specific to your industry or field so that recruiters will find them when searching for candidates like you.
Keep it short — no more than three sentences, if possible. People tend to scan profiles instead of reading every word, so make sure that what they see is worth their time by giving them an idea of who you are right away.
Be Seen as an Authority in Your Field
A well-written LinkedIn summary will help you stand out from other job applicants. Here are some tips for writing an effective one:
Be Visible in Your Field
You might be surprised by how many people don’t use their LinkedIn profiles to showcase their skills and expertise. Don’t make this mistake! If you’re trying to find a new job, then it’s time to start thinking about your professional brand. A strong LinkedIn profile can help you get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers, which means more opportunities for finding a new job or improving your current one.
Your LinkedIn Summary Must Be Clear and Concise
People don’t have time to read long blocks of text anymore — especially when they’re looking at a resume on a mobile phone screen. Make sure your summary is concise and easy to skim while still giving the reader an idea of what makes you stand out from other candidates in the job market right now. Keep it short, but don’t be afraid to expand on any points that may interest readers enough to click through and learn more about them in greater detail elsewhere on your profile.
Optimize Your Profile for the Search Keywords
The first thing you need to do is optimize your profile for the search keywords. This will help recruiters and hiring managers find you when they search for talent with specific skills or experiences in their industry.
To optimize your profile, start by selecting the right keywords from the “Search” field at the top of your profile page. Then add them as tags in your profile and make sure they appear in your headline, summary and description sections.
Next, fill out all of your profile information as fully as possible — even if some of it doesn’t seem relevant to your current job search. Recruiters use this data to understand who you are professionally and what makes you stand out from other candidates. This information can also help identify how effective your resume is at conveying these qualities (or not).
Finally, engage with others on the platform! Be sure to respond positively when someone comments on one of your posts or shares something that resonates with you personally or professionally.
Share Your Employment History
You can share your employment history in two ways: by listing past jobs or by describing your career path. Listing past jobs allows you to highlight relevant skills and experiences and helps employers see how they relate to the position you’re applying for. If you choose this option, make sure the positions are relevant to the job and include only those that are relevant; otherwise, it may seem like you’re trying too hard or stretching the truth. If you choose this option, remember that each position should be listed separately on your profile under “Work Experience.”
Describe Your Career Path
If you’re new on the job market or have been out of work for some time, describing your career path may be more effective than listing past jobs. This approach allows employers to see how much experienced you are.
Showcase Your Skills and Expertise
Your LinkedIn profile is similar to your resume in that it should be focused on what you’ve done rather than what you want to do or hope to do in the future. Your resume should include your work experience, education history and any awards you’ve received. The same applies here: Include all relevant information about your past accomplishments so potential employers know what kind of employee they’re getting if they hire you for a role at their company.
To write a good LinkedIn summary, think about the things that make up who you are as an employee — skills, experiences and accomplishments — then use those things to build out your summary in an engaging way that shows off your personality without being too lengthy (like this!).
Provide Results to Prove Your Expertise
Provide results to prove your expertise. If possible, include quantifiable results from previous work that shows how well you perform your job duties in relation to other professionals in the industry. This can be helpful when applying for jobs or even just when someone wants references from past employers.
Don’t brag about yourself or your accomplishments. No one likes a braggart, so don’t try to impress everyone with how much money you make or how many awards you’ve won. Instead of boasting about yourself, focus on showing off your skills through accomplishments
Make sure you’ve mentioned your achievements in your summary
The best way to do this is by using numbers and statistics, like “increased sales from $1 million to $3 million in three years” or “reduced wait times by 30%.” If you haven’t achieved anything concrete yet, talk about what you want to accomplish in the future — but be specific about what those goals are and how they’ll benefit your company or industry.
Use Numbers and Data
Social media platforms are filled with people trying to sell their products. You can’t compete with that. Instead, use numbers and data to illustrate your value in the marketplace. For example, “500% increase in sales over the last year” or “saved company $50,000 in payroll costs by reducing turnover rate by 10%.”
Tell Your Story
People want to know who you are, so tell them a little bit about yourself. Include your education, previous positions and maybe even some of your interests outside of work. This will help people put a face to the name on LinkedIn when they see it pop up in their feed.
Focus on What Makes You Unique
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to writing a LinkedIn summary. It all depends on what makes you stand out from other candidates in your field and industry. Think about what sets you apart from the crowd and then highlight those skills or experiences in your summary so recruiters know what sets you apart from other candidates vying for their attention.
Wrapping Up
In the end, none of this is to say that you should tailor your LinkedIn summary to absolutely every job you apply for. However, it does show that you should make sure yours reads well and highlights your best qualities—no matter what kind of job you’re applying for. I also want to make it clear that this piece isn’t meant to be exhaustive by any means. It’s simply meant to show how you can use LinkedIn to build a personal brand, which will hopefully give you a good idea on how to improve your own profile.
