How to Write a LinkedIn Summary Real Examples and Easy Tips

How to Write a LinkedIn Summary Real Examples and Easy TipsPosted on September 26, 2018December 16, 2019 by Jon Shields The LinkedIn summary or about section is often under-utilized by LinkedIn users. Many leave it completely blank or type in a short tagline better suited for a LinkedIn headline or a resume summary.But whether youre using LinkedIn to find a job, market your business, or build your professional brand, the summary section is important real estate.Whereas the headline allows just 120 characters, there are 2,000 characters available in the LinkedIn profile summary. This about section could give you between 300-350 words to strengthen your profile by adding some personality, optimizing your search terms, telling your career story, and inspiring action from readers.Why a good LinkedIn summary matters for your job searchWriting a great LinkedIn profiletop-to-bottom is the easiest way to set yourself apart from half-a-billion other LinkedInusers. Even if youre uploaded a gre at profile photo, customized your headline, and detailed your work and education history, leaving the summary blank is a huge missed opportunity for a number of reasons.The LinkedIn summary is part of your first impressionThe LinkedIn profile summary is one of the first things people binnensee when they visit your profile. Its part of introductory business card at the top of your profile that also includes your name, photo, headline, fruchtwein recent company, education, and contact information.This information is above the fold on both desktop and mobile, meaning someone doesnt have to scroll down to find it.When most users visit your profile, theyll see the first 300 characters or so of your summary. However, LinkedIn Recruiter shows the entire summary by default.Left LinkedIn view Right LinkedIn Recruiter viewIts your chance to say helloCompared to other social networks, LinkedIn carries a certain expectation of decorum and professionalism. This expectation varies from industry to industry regardless, the profile summary section is your best opportunity to inject a little personality into your profile. In an age where culture fits or culture adds are top of mind, the LinkedIn summary is where you can really let prospective employers see who you are and what you care about.More than any other LinkedIn profile section, the summary provides an opportunity to address the reader directly and share multiple sides of yourself from professional accomplishments to life motivations.LinkedIn uses your summary for search resultsWhen recruiters search for you on LinkedIn, summary content plays into the results. Your summary is not weighted as heavily as your headline or the job titles and descriptions in your work experience section, however they can still strengthen your searchability and help you rise above similar candidates.Using the LinkedIn summary to include terms that a recruiter might plug into a search bar hard skills, job titles, or industry keywords incre ases your visibility and reveals opportunities.Jobscans LinkedIn Optimization tool analyzes your LinkedIn profile against jobs youre interested in and industry data to show you exactly which keywords youre missing.Optimize Your LinkedIn ProfileHow to write a LinkedIn summary for your job searchAs alluded to above, a few things that should go into your summary include a catchy hook, your personal story, and optimized keywords.Start strongBy default, LinkedIn shows only the first three lines of your profile summary before readers have to click to see more. This works out to around 290-310 characters.If youre a creative writer you might start your summary with a catchy hook that invites readers to click See More. Otherwise, top load your LinkedIn summary with the number-one thing you want recruiters or hiring managers to know about you.What sets you apart from everyone else? What combinations of skills help you achieve results? Why do youlove your work? Answering these questions can un cover a compelling opening statement.Make your LinkedIn summary keyword richRecruiters search for a combination of job titles, skills, and other keywords to find the right candidates. LinkedIn even shows you some of the search queries used to find your profile. On your profile, check out the dashboard underneath your summary. One of the stats will be search appearances.Click on it to see a report detailing your searches. For example, this week some of my searchers found my profile by using these keyword combinationsIf you dont see any search appearances or relevant search terms on your profile, it means your profile keywords arent optimized for recruiter searches. Review job descriptions that interest you take musiknote of recurring hard skills and keywords. If applicable, add these words to your summary and profile.Jobscans LinkedIn Optimization tool helps automate this process by comparing your profile to three or more relevant job descriptions. It then shows you which keywords yo ure missing. These keywords are often search terms used by recruiters.LinkedIn Optimization results for my profile. Learn more about the tool here.If youre not much of a writer and you dont need to be for most jobs using your summary to list your most important skills and technologies is a smart alternative to crafting a narrative.Optimize Your LinkedIn ProfileOpen up about your careerYour LinkedIn summary isnt the place for your unabridged biography. However, it is the perfect place to add context to your career trajectory, show off your accomplishments, and dig into what makes you great at your job. This is information that recruiters and prospective employers are interested in knowing.Whats next for you?Leave hints as to why you moved from one company to the next. Recruiters want to know if the position theyre filling makes sense as your next step.I want to see the progression of not only what job title and what company you were working for, but also a snapshot of the progressi on of your career, a healthcare recruiter told Jobscan. Im also looking for the logic of why you went from this job to the next job. What caused you to make that transition?Much of this will be detailed in your work experience sections, but you can use your summary to control the narrative. For example, you might use your summary to share your interest in a specific discipline within your field. Or how you motivate and enable your team as you look to move into a management role. Or your desire to work with companies that make an impact on a specific segment of the community. Placing these ideas in your summary will help color your entire career history.What are your greatest accomplishments?Specific accomplishments should be peppered throughout your work experience sections, but the summary is a great place to collect your greatest accomplishments for additional impact.You can also combine and generalize accomplishments in this section in ways you cant in your work experience. For e xample, if youre a sales manager who has worked with three different companies, you can say, Increased regional sales by an average of 72% in my first year at three different companies.Learn more about how to write strong accomplishments39 Accomplishment ExamplesSimple Formula for Identifying Key AchievementsAdditional questions to answer in your LinkedIn summaryThinking about these questions as you craft your LinkedIn profile summary can help show prospective employers what you value, why youre going places in your career, and whether youd be a great fit.What are your goals and ambitions?What are your guiding principles?Why are you passionate about your current job or industry?Were there any specific pieces of wisdom that you took away from past jobs?Is there any unique knowledge youve brought into your industry from other life experiences?Review LinkedIn summary tipsStart strong with a catchy opening statementUse optimized search terms in your summaryDont be afraid to inject some personalityAdd context to your career storyBrag about your accomplishmentsUtilize as much of the character limit as you canKeep it readable with short paragraphs or bullet pointsDont go overboard with special charactersUse a call to action at the endGet automated tips for your profile with Jobscans LinkedIn Optimization tool.LinkedIn Summary and About Section ExamplesHere are a few examples of strong LinkedIn summaries that use different approaches. Take inspiration from these profiles but DO NOT copy them.Cal, Marketing Communications DirectorContextualizes his experience with a personal anecdote, shows off entrepreneurial spirit, and peppers dollar signs and percentages throughout.Dina, Marketing ExecutiveConfident opening, context into what makes her passionate about her work, keyword dense, and uses every available character. We dont advise using this many special characters, but the content is very strong.Daniel, Customer Experience SpecialistContains personality and a look in to his interests, but most importantly demonstrates his process and allows prospective employers to see exactly how he would approach the work.Jessica, Software EngineerNot everyone is a writer and not every job will care if you can craft a narrative in your summary. If youre not sure what else to do, use the summary to clearly lay out your skills, tech proficiencies, and certifications.Facebook Commentswpdevar_comment_1 span,wpdevar_comment_1 iframewidth100% important