One of the first places recruiters and companies look at your profile is your LinkedIn summary area. They might simply scroll over the rest of your profile and move on to someone else’s if you don’t make an impression on them.
So, this is what you can expect from this article:
- How to write a stellar LinkedIn profile summary that gets you interviews: an 11-step checklist
- 5 effective examples of LinkedIn summaries for job searchers to guide you in creating your own
- When writing your LinkedIn summary as a job seeker, the biggest error to avoid is
Let’s get started…
How to Write a Great LinkedIn Summary for Job Searching
1. Focus on demonstrating what you’ll do for an employer
As a job seeker, creating a strong LinkedIn synopsis isn’t all that different from writing one for anyone else.
In a few paragraphs, you want to grab the reader’s attention, share your story, and convey the value you’d offer to a company. And much as with a LinkedIn title, I advise against emphasizing the fact that you are actively looking for work. No company chooses a candidate merely because they are actively seeking employment.
Your LinkedIn summary should emphasize the benefits you’ll offer to a new company and the reasons why potential employers should want you on their staff.
A recruiter or employer will get in touch with you on LinkedIn because of THIS. not since you state that you are “actively seeking opportunities.” If you’re interested in learning more about why this is accurate, see this essay on LinkedIn headlines where I go into more detail.
2. Emphasize hard skills first and foremost
Although it’s acceptable to list a few soft skills on your LinkedIn profile, they won’t get you the job. When considering whether to interview you, employers review your résumé and LinkedIn profile for hard skills.
In the interview, they’ll try to gauge your soft talents, such as how diligent, driven, honest, etc. you are.
Focus on challenging skills at least 80% of the time. I’ll give you an example of an introductory sentence from a real LinkedIn summary or about section that overemphasizes soft skills:
Dynamic, creative, motivated, and adaptable social media and branding enthusiast…
The issue with this is that it prioritizes soft skills over hard ones, which employers don’t look for in a profile. It would be far better for this person to say:
Dedicated to social media and branding with a track record of…
Thus, their technical knowledge and competence are displayed first. (Ideally, they should continue by mentioning harder abilities that are more specialized, such as “Facebook advertising,” “Content marketing,” etc.)
3. Include numbers and data
Putting your former work experience on display is one of the best methods to demonstrate why you’ll be a valuable employee. And actual outcomes, figures, and facts are the best ways to illustrate this.
Numbers, dollars, and headcounts (if you managed or trained people, etc.)
Including information like this in your LinkedIn profile summary will catch the reader’s eye and persuade them that you are someone they should speak with in person.
In some of the examples that will follow in this post, you’ll see how to include information in a LinkedIn profile summary.
4. Include keywords for the type of job you want
You can modify your LinkedIn summary here to better suit your job hunt.
See what some of the most popular keywords are in the job descriptions for the roles you want to apply for.
To demonstrate to employers that you are a good fit for their position, use a handful of these keywords in your LinkedIn summary or about section.
Additionally, you can use the “Skills” area to add extra keywords to your LinkedIn profile’s lower portion.
5. Make your opening sentence as interesting as possible so employers click “see more”
Your entire “About” paragraph won’t initially be shown to the reader of your LinkedIn profile summary.
If they are intrigued, they can click “see more” after viewing a brief excerpt. So our goal is to make them click!
Here’s an illustration of a LinkedIn summary section that piqued my interest and compelled me to read further. It’s a little unorthodox, but it succeeded in piquing my curiosity and compelling me to pause my browsing!
6. Show passion for your work
It’s time to convey some enthusiasm for your work once you’ve shown off your technical abilities, prior outcomes, statistics, accomplishments, etc.
You’ll draw in more employers if you can demonstrate your enthusiasm for your work.
Employers consider more than just skills and experience. They are looking to find someone who will like going to work every day.
Therefore, consider what drives you and incorporate a little of that into your LinkedIn profile summary.
7. Show some personality
Having a little personality can also make you stand out and make an impression, which can lead to additional interview opportunities.
As an illustration, you could start your LinkedIn profile summary by stating:
Hi, thanks for checking out my profile! I’m a digital marketer with 4 years of experience in advertising, social media management, and obsessing over coffee! (Ask me about my own homemade cold-brew!)
That final item, which has nothing to do with employment, demonstrates your character.
This will set your LinkedIn summary apart from that of other job seekers and those who only include work-related information. Additionally, if the hiring manager or recruiter loves coffee, they might inquire about this.
As a result, including a little personality or even comedy in your LinkedIn summary might be a terrific way to start a conversation.
8. Utilize white space and small paragraphs to make your LinkedIn summary easier to read
Recruiters and hiring managers don’t want to read lengthy paragraphs with 10 sentences each. This applies to everyone online, in actuality.
Therefore, be sure to use short paragraphs with space between them. Your Summary section will be considerably simpler to read as a result.
Take a glance at the text you are reading right now if you are unsure of what appropriate spacing looks like. Take note of how the paragraphs are spread out and lack any long paragraphs of 10 sentences. We intentionally do that across the board to make the site easier to read.
Make an effort to replicate such space in your profile summary. This is also evident in each and every example of a LinkedIn summary that follows in the second half of this post.
9. Use special characters to further stand out
Consider arranging your application with bullets, checkmarks, and even emoticons to stand out from other job seekers.
Simply don’t overdo it. I’ve seen it, sadly, but it looks ugly when someone’s LinkedIn summary contains 20 red and pink emoticons.
The following uses a GOOD number of emojis and other special characters and formatting:
Credit for this profile goes to Career Coach Austin Belcak on LinkedIn.
As we discussed in the preceding tip, this profile also has excellent spacing and isn’t overly “dense.”
10. Add relevant attachments
You can include assets like PDFs, movies, and photographs after creating a stellar LinkedIn summary.
These attachments will be visible in the brief “snippet” that visitors see before choosing to “see more” of your summary, which will aid in catching their attention.
But don’t merely affix a copy of your resume. Nowhere on your LinkedIn profile should you do this, in my opinion. It is preferable to make employers request that! These attachments have to include samples from your portfolio, other samples of your prior work, accolades, recommendations, case studies, credentials, etc.
An illustration of how attachments appear in a LinkedIn summary or about section is given below:
11. Include a “Call to Action” at the end
Even though most job seekers don’t do it, doing this is really effective.
Did you aware that asking someone to do something improves the likelihood that they will follow through on it?
So, if they believe your experience would fit a position they have, ASK them to contact you at the conclusion of your summary.
You could state:
“If any of the above sounds interesting and you think it would be a potential fit to work together, send me an invitation to connect and let’s talk!“
Note: This is the only area in your LinkedIn summary where I’d advise you to say that you’re actively looking for work. (As I indicated before, don’t waste space on the rest of your summary with this; instead, concentrate on demonstrating how you’ll benefit your prospective company.)
5 LinkedIn Summary Examples for Job Seekers (Unemployed or Employed)
Let’s look at some of the best LinkedIn summary examples for job seekers now that we’ve gone through step-by-step instructions on how to construct an excellent LinkedIn profile summary.
These are good LinkedIn summary examples for both working and unemployed people. It is irrelevant. The goal is the same: to convince potential employers that you would be a benefit to their business and that they ought to give you an interview.
LinkedIn Summary Example #1
Hi! I thrive off of building connections and have spent several years in Talent Acquisition and Customer Service. I have experience recruiting for internal careers at a recruiting firm specializing in industrial, technical and professional job placements.
Currently, I support Residential Home Health’s Talent Acquisition team in hiring for MI and IL Home Health and Hospice. Recruiting Specialties: Administrative, Recruiters / Sales Representatives, Controllers, HR Assistants (MI, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin), Certified Clinicians such as Certified Nursing Assistants, Nurses, Therapists, and more (MI, IL).
Strategies: Boolean, and other advanced sourcing techniques such as Social Media (LinkedIn, LinkedIn Recruiter, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), Job Boards (CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, Handshake). Proficient in: Hire Right, Adobe InDesign, HootSuite, HCHB, Avionte (formerly known as Compas), Work Day, Microsoft Office, Salesforce, CHEX courses.
This example of a LinkedIn summary uses good spacing (no large blocks of text), lots of pertinent keywords, and demonstrates how the candidate might benefit their potential company.
And it’s the kind of information that can help you land an interview with a company that needs the skills you have to offer.
LinkedIn Summary Example #2
Your employee’s experience is your customer’s experience. Together, we can make it a positive one.
Companies invest more money and time in acquiring customers than they do in their employees. I want to change that. I want to help employees reach their full potential so they can provide great customer service throughout the customer lifecycle.
The most exciting part of my job is knowing I made an employee’s work life better at one or several points in the employee lifecycle.
I’ve spent the past seven years coordinating resources and performing administrative duties to help employees succeed at their jobs and connect with each other.
Here are a few ways I’ve helped employees:
* Redefined team roles and responsibilities and presented them to business partners (4 of 7 recommendations implemented) — I learned through employee interviews that many didn’t know
* Audited business partner’s new initiative and restructured initiative by adding an onboarding program and elements of performance management.
* Played a key role in saving $3 million account by creating quality controls to correct the payment misapplications and increase efficiency and accuracy for future payment applications
* It’s not all work and no play. I also coordinate employee engagement activities such as diversity & inclusion events and employee appreciation activities.
* Boosted employee satisfaction and employee engagement by bringing 25 new or revamping programs, fundraisers, events, celebrations, and training classes to the location in 2018
If you’re looking for someone that doesn’t wonder “How can I make this better?” we might not be a fit.
Let’s connect and talk about human resources, talent acquisition, HRIS, recruiting, people operations, candidate experience, and employee experience and engagement.
This LinkedIn summary example uses fantastic space as well as some eye-catching formatting (bullets in the shape of stars).
This person does a good job of demonstrating some enthusiasm for the work they do in their LinkedIn summary, as they state, “The most interesting element of my job is….”
That expression is a fantastic approach to demonstrate your passion for your work and enjoyment of your job, two qualities that companies value highly when making hiring decisions!
LinkedIn Summary Example #3
Experienced Senior Financial/Business Analyst with a background in project and team management, financial accounting, process engineering, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node, React, SQL, and more.
I am curious, driven, and always looking for new ways to mitigate risk, increase efficiency, and create new opportunities in a business.
Here is an illustration of a condensed LinkedIn summary. As a job seeker, you don’t NEED to have a lengthy summary part.
This synopsis does a good job of including numerous hard skills/keywords like HTML, CSS, etc. in only two brief paragraphs.
LinkedIn Summary Example #4
Strategic Human Resources Leader skilled at aligning learning and development vision with strategic objectives to drive business results. Expertise in working directly with corporate partners, senior leaders and business lines to integrate talent development, succession and diversity and inclusion strategies throughout an organization.
Accomplished in the design and implementation of talent management activities to build bench strength and grow talent at all levels.
Skills and Competencies:
* Talent/Leadership Development
* Learning & Talent Strategy
* Succession Planning & Talent Identification
* Course Design and Development
* Learning Needs Assessment
* Performance Management
* Coaching
* Development Planning
* Learning Assessment and Evaluation
* Program Facilitation
* Career Mapping
* Communications
* Diversity & Inclusion
Another example of a LinkedIn summary that makes use of unusual formatting to draw in readers is this one.
This person included a quick introduction before listing their top hard skills and keywords in bullet points rather than in paragraph format.
This will make you more visible to recruiters using LinkedIn to look for talent.
LinkedIn Summary Example #5 (For College Students and Recent Graduates):
I’m a senior on track to graduate in Spring 2021 with my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with dual concentrations in Finance and Human Resources. I’ve had the opportunity to work for Del Monte as an HR clerk allowing me to gain experience within the field. I am looking forward to pursuing my MBA and acquiring a job in HR.
This graduate-specific LinkedIn summary example does a fantastic job of outlining your current circumstances (i.e., just graduated, soon to graduate, etc.), followed by your desired type of employment.
I like this idea of saying, “I’m looking forward to acquiring a job in the _ community.” – It sounds so much better than just saying, “Actively seeking _ opportunities”.
Additionally, this profile has a few effective keywords like HR, Human Resources, etc.
If I were revising this LinkedIn summary, I’d suggest adding one more paragraph to highlight your academic achievements and perhaps adding a few more keywords (like sub-topics within HR or Business Administration that you studied).
As a college student or recent graduate, you can also apply the general pointers in this article to write an excellent LinkedIn summary. You are not required to use this particular example.
Tip: Look at Real LinkedIn Summary Examples in Your Industry
We’ve already looked at five instances of LinkedIn summaries, but you may get even more examples by researching your specific sector.
Look up LinkedIn profiles of people who are in the position you want to be in or who are on the career path you want to be on.
That way, you can locate many more examples of LinkedIn summaries, all of which will be pertinent to your field of work.
Then, take some inspiration from those other stellar LinkedIn summary sections you discovered and incorporate it into your own.
Avoid plagiarism. Always create your own summary.
The point is that by drawing motivation from other successful individuals in your field, you can create a summary that appeals to hiring managers and comes across as competent and polished.
Consider the Job Description When Writing Your LinkedIn Summary
Another excellent tip for what to include in your LinkedIn summary is to review a few job descriptions from prospective employers.
In order to speak to what those potential employers desire in those roles, you should strive to shape your LinkedIn summary (and other elements, such as the LinkedIn headline) after them.
If you’re currently looking for work, a strong synopsis will demonstrate that you’ll be a perfect fit for the positions you’re applying for in addition to showcasing your skills.
Additionally, if you look at job descriptions and include keywords and talents that companies seek, you’ll show up in more recruiter search results.
Finally, take into account your existing work description. You can make a list of the main tasks you’re undertaking by taking a look at your current list of job responsibilities.
Employers will be more interested in you if you then put things into your own words and tie them as closely as you can to the work requirements of the role you desire.
If you follow the above instructions, your LinkedIn summary will be great, appearing in LinkedIn search results and persuading employers to interview you.
How Long Should a LinkedIn Summary Be?
Ideally, your LinkedIn summary will contain 2 to 8 paragraphs. The complete summary text should fit on the screen without scrolling if you’re viewing it on a full-size computer screen (or should come very close, if not). If your summary is longer than this, think about revising it to only include the most crucial information.
Detailing is advantageous.
The one-line LinkedIn summaries that just state, “Life-long learner,” without going into further depth about the value you provide to a firm, irritate me as a recruiter.
Nobody wants to read a book’s worth of content in your LinkedIn profile summary, but, at the same time. Therefore, the key is to strike the ideal equilibrium.
You’re good if your LinkedIn profile summary is the same length as any of the earlier samples.
LinkedIn Summary Template
Below is a basic copy-and-paste LinkedIn summary template to help you get started in writing:
<Main area of work> professional with expertise in <skill/keyword 1>, <skill/keyword 2>, and <skill/keyword 3>.
Recent achievements include:
* <List achievements, accomplishments, projects here. What are the top highlights of your recent work history?>
<Call to action: What would you like the reader to do next? For example, “Currently looking for the next step in my sales career. Contact me to discuss relevant opportunities.”>
Don’t forget to adjust everything above for your intended audience. Your LinkedIn summary should focus on how you may benefit a potential employer rather than just on you. Your sales pitch should entice them to get in touch with you and schedule an interview.
Additionally, make an effort to incorporate your desired job title anywhere in your LinkedIn summary.
Follow These LinkedIn Summary Tips for an Easier Job Search
If you use the aforementioned advice, your LinkedIn summary will be excellent, grabbing the reader’s attention and leading to job interviews.
Open a fresh document and start composing your own summary using the stages and examples we looked at as a guide. Once you’re satisfied with it, put your new summary into your LinkedIn profile.
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