How to Write a LinkedIn Summary

How to Write a LinkedIn Summary How To Write a Good LinkedIn SummaryExamples and TipsApril 12, 2019 By Jess Chen The best LinkedIn summaries are different from career objectives. Use this key element of your profile to bolster your job hunt, and check out our LinkedIn summary examples for students job seekers.Make a Resume in MinutesOne of the most important tools for a job seeker is their LinkedIn profile. But without a great LinkedIn summary, a profile is bound to fall flat.A well-written, engaging LinkedIn summary tells people who you are and where you plan on taking your career. If its compelling enough, it has the power to attract recruiters, land interviews, and even convince a customer to use your product or service.So, what makes a LinkedIn summary unique and how do you write a good one?Table of ContentsLinkedIn Summary vs. Career Objective5 Writing TipsExamples for Students and Job SeekersLinkedIn Summary vs. Resume Career ObjectiveUse your LinkedIn to its fullest.A huge m istake that a lot of job seekers commit is treating their LinkedIn summary the same as their resume objective and using the same text for both. Even though they both appear at the top, LinkedIn summaries and resume career objectives are fundamentally different in two ways.Difference 1 Available SpaceBecause resumes have limited space, your career objective needs to be concise. Specifically, it shouldnt be more than 3 sentences. This doesnt give you much time to express who you are and what value you bring to a company.However, LinkedIn summaries have a 2,000 character limit, giving you much more space to creatively express yourself. You can use this space to show off a bit of personality and highlight professional interests, as well as elaborate on future goals, allowing employers to see a side of you that a career objective cant capture. TipYour LinkedIn summary doesnt fully load for users unless they click to expand it. When youre writing your summary, try keeping your most impor tant informationlike your passions and personal goalsin the beginning.Difference 2 They Serve Different PurposesBecause career objectives are used exclusively for job hunting, they always hit the same points here is what I bring to the table and here are my goals. After reading it, a recruiter or hiring manager should be able to answer the questionare you a good fit?LinkedIn summaries are quite different. People have LinkedIn profiles regardless of whether theyre actively job hunting, which means that they arent written with the sole purpose of attracting job offers.Because of these other purposes, when you craft your LinkedIn summary, you need to approach it differently than if you were writing a resume introduction.5 Writing Tips1. Establish Your LinkedIn Summary AudienceBefore you write a single sentence, you need to figure out who your audience is.When constructing your LinkedIn summary, consider your audience.To determine your audience, think about whether you areCatching the a ttention of hiring managers or employersAttracting candidates to work for your companyAdvertising your products or servicesExpanding your networkOnce you pin down the primary goal, youll be able to decide how personable or professional your writing tone should be, as well as what key information you want to highlight. TipIf youre curious about what a LinkedIn summary should look like, skip to the bottom to see our several examples.2. Pay Attention to KeywordsBefore you start, research and incorporate keywords throughout your LinkedIn summary to ensure your profile shows up when employers search for candidates via keywords.Great places to look for keywords areJob descriptionsJob listingsLinkedIn profiles of rang und namen haben people in your fieldOne way to provide an extra boost is to list keywords at the bottom of your summarylike tags on a blog postwhich increases the chances your profile appears in search results for a specific keyword. TipWant more employers to contact you on LinkedIn? Learn how to upload your resume to LinkedIn so your profile will always make a positive impression on hiring managers.3. Break Up Your WritingNobody who lands on your profile wants to read a huge block of text. This rationale applies to viewers of your LinkedIn profile as well.When youre writing your LinkedIn summaryBreak up the text into short paragraphsKeep sentences succinct and to the pointOrganize information into listsLeave plenty of white spaceUsing these strategies makes your LinkedIn summary easier to read, as well as more interesting and appealing.4. State Your Future AmbitionsRegardless of what your LinkedIn summarys main purpose is, you should clearly state your career goals. Doing so helps your audience better understand you as a professional, and if theyre a recruiter, lets them evaluate whether your aspirations align with those of potential employers.Here are common goals and corresponding reasons why you should include your future ambitionsLinkedIn Summary GoalWhy You Should State Future AmbitionsTo get you hiredYour employer knows whether or not your career trajectory fits in with their hiring needs.Attracting candidatesCandidates know what kind of employee youre seeking, as well as your company values.Advertising products or servicesPotential customers understand why you run your business, and decide if they would like to purchase your goods or services.Expanding networkThose seeking to connect understand what youre about and whether youd be a valuable member of their network.When specifying your career goals, it filters out unsuitable opportunities early on and ensures that the LinkedIn contacts you gain are relevant.5. Include a Call To ActionUse a call to action to spur your employer to connect over LinkedIn.A Call to Actions (CTA) purpose is to jolt the reader into performing an action. For LinkedIn, youre usually encouraging visitors to your profile to reach out and connect.A CTA can be a few sentences long, and usually starts with actionable verbs.Usually, you want to place a CTA near the very end of your LinkedIn summary, because it encourages your audience to interact with you rather than simply leave your page.ExamplesReach out over email at your.nameemail.com if youre interested in connecting to discuss future business opportunities.Check out my online store at mystore.com or reach out over email at your.nameemail.com if you just want to say hello. TipAfter writing the main body of your LinkedIn summary, dont forget to attach your portfolio. Linking to your portfolio puts it at the top of your profile, where your work is accessible and easy to see.Two Examples for Students Job SeekersHere at Resume Genius, our goal is to help you in your job search. If youre a job seeker wondering what a stellar LinkedIn summary looks like, take a look at our LinkedIn summary examples below.Example for Students Example for StudentsIve always loved learningeven if its just for learnings sake. As an English major at UCLA, my eyes have been opened to how literature reflects and affects the world around us, shaping my worldview.Im an avid traveler as well. When I had the opportunity to conduct research on the socio-economic ramifications of Shakespeares works in the Elizabethan era while studying abroad in England, I jumped at the chance. My research spanned three different cities, and I interviewed 10+ individuals while I was there.Im also no stranger to leadership roles. For instance, tutoring at Westwood Community College has given me ample experience leading freshmen students in their writing studies and collaborating with an English professor to create lesson plans.Despite having yet to graduate, I would like to channel my wealth of experience into a junior research associate role.If you would like to chat or if you would like to discuss future job opportunities, please reach out via email at HarperStewartgmail.com.My skills include research, writing, English, adaptability, Microsoft Off ice Suite, Spanish, accuracy, attention to detail, organization, prioritization, flexibility, time management, conduct interviews, create lesson plans, and tutoring.Example for Job Seekers Example for Job SeekersWhen people think two steps ahead, I think ten. As an administrative assistant at Redford Sons, I mastered the art of multitasking and became a jack of all trades skilled in everything from scheduling and coordinating meetings to managing travel and expense reports.Over the course of my 6+ year career, I have developed a passion for improving how the arbeitszimmer is run and finding value in the little tasks that keep a business going. I enjoy forming bonds with my manager and creating new processes so that he can continue focusing on big picture tasks.Even though I am happy as part of the Redford Sons family, I am looking to grow as a professional. In particular, Im currently seeking new managerial opportunities. Recently I started training newly hired administrative a ssistants for Redford Sons, and this has opened me up to the idea of taking on a more management-focused role for the next step of my career.If you feel that I would be a valued kollektiv member for your company, please contact me at Sona.Smithgmail.com.I am always open to connecting with other like-minded professionalsSome of my specialities include Microsoft Office, Excel, Spanish and English fluency, presentations, facility reports, maintaining confidentiality, coordinating meetings, paying attention to detail, adhering to company policy, travel and expense reports, typed documents, and transcribing meeting minutes.Need resume help? Dont forget to check out our easy-to-use resume builder, our stylish resume templates, or our expert-crafted resume samples