When you are job hunting, you need to write a lot of things. A stunning CV, a persuasive cover letter. It is not surprising then that your LinkedIn summary gets overlooked. It simply isn’t at the top of your to-do list. But that’s a shame, because having a great ‘about section’ really does convince recruiters and hiring managers to reach out. It helps you get an advantage over the competition. With these LinkedIn summary tips you are assured of a flawless profile that gets you in touch with the right people.
But first, why is it important?
Your LinkedIn profile is probably the first thing recruiters see when they search for your name in Google. It is the go-to place for decision-makers to evaluate your professional capacity in an early stage and the summary is likely to be read. At least, way more likely than your bios on Twitter or Instagram. Writing a great piece makes you stand out. It helps recruiters decide whether you are a good fit. And ultimately, it makes them want to know more about you. Our LinkedIn summary tips will help you reach just that.
So let’s dive into those LinkedIn summary tips now, shall we?
1. Keep it personal
Yes, LinkedIn is an online platform for professional purposes. We get it. But recruiters and hiring managers aren’t looking for profiles or CV’s to fill in their vacancies. They are looking for people. Real people. Men and women with passions and ideas. Therefore, one of the most important LinkedIn summary tips is to keep it personal. Tell readers why you do what you do. Tell them who you are and what you stand for. Reveal your character. That’s what really makes you stand out from your peers.
2. Show your value
Whether you talk about your present job, your career, your successes or all those things at once, it is important to not just tell what you do or did. You need to show recruiters your added value. Don’t sum up your skills, but demonstrate how you put those skills to good use. Show them what you have accomplished and be as specific as you can while doing so. Keep your target audience in mind, focus on the most relevant and appealing professional achievements and leave everything else out.
3. Break op your text
Your LinkedIn summary can be up to 2,000 characters. That’s a long piece of copy and long pieces of copy can discourage people from reading. Therefore we recommend you break up your summary in different sections. Use a blank line to differentiate between your introduction, your values, your superpowers, your accomplishments and other interesting stats. This is one of those often forgotten but simple LinkedIn summary tips that makes your copy easier and more enjoyable to read.
4. Create an attention grabbing first sentence
Every word of your summary counts, but the ones in your first sentence really can make an impact. The first 250-300 characters are always shown before people need to click on ‘See more’. For mobile users, it is even shorter (20-25 characters). That’s why you need an attention grabbing first sentence that hooks recruiters and hiring managers right away. Don’t waste this precious room on simply introducing yourself, but try to get straight to the point.
5. Use keywords
Using keywords might be one of the most valuable LinkedIn summary tips we can give you. LinkedIn works like a search engine. It scans all the content on profiles to provide searchers the most relevant results, so using the right keywords makes your profile pop up more. Try scanning some descriptions of jobs you like, find out what is sought after and what words are used to describe those requirements. Incorporate the same words (or even job titles) in your own LinkedIn summary and you’ll improve the number of visitors to your profile right away.
More LinkedIn summary tips?
Do you want some more advanced LinkedIn summary tips that help you write an even better profile? Or did you just found out that writing your ‘About me’ leads to frustration and stress?
Don’t hesitate to contact us. We will gladly help you out. Whether it is with some more helpful LinkedIn summary tips, useful advice or with a complete LinkedIn profile review .