A Checklist for a Memorable LinkedIn “About” Section (With Examples)

If you're like most people, your LinkedIn profile is your default website. This means your About section is one of the most important parts of your personal brand.

Yet, for most people, that section is typically a bland, uninspired paragraph that doesn’t do justice to them, their talents, or their career.

If you're serious about networking, job hunting, or building your brand, it's time to refresh your LinkedIn About section.

Use this checklist to ensure you've got all the right elements to get you noticed and make people excited to connect with you.

Use first person

LinkedIn is increasingly casual, and your goal is to appear approachable and authentic. So always write in first person. It’s warm, relatable, and invites people to keep reading.

Hook them in four lines

LinkedIn only shows the first few lines of your About Section before truncating it with a “See more” link. You need to make those lines count to grab your reader’s attention.

Skip the usual “I bring 15 years of experience in…” and start with an intriguing hook or a powerful start.?

For example:

• A boss once told me....
• I’m passionate about...
• I want my legacy to be...
• Or I help [target audience] with [problem/thing you do] so they can [benefit].

The goal is to make people curious enough to click "See more."

Define who you help and how

After someone reads your About section, they should instantly know:

1. Who you serve (what types of organizations or teams)
2. What you do (your expertise)
3. The benefits you bring (your value proposition)

For example: "I help nonprofits build digital fundraising strategies that increase donations and expand their reach, so they can focus on making a bigger impact."

This formula ensures you focus on benefits, not just tasks.

Brag a little

Very few people will read your resume. But a lot more people will read your LinkedIn profile. So it's a missed opportunity if you're not highlighting your career accomplishments.

Think about:

• Major projects you’ve led
• Awards or accolades
• Results you’ve delivered (quantify them where possible)

This is a great place to leverage some of the accomplishments you have from your resume. Just make sure they align as much as possible with the role you’re targeting.

Add social proof

Social proof is a powerful tool for building trust and credibility. If you are able to, add any:

• Recognizable brands or industries you’ve worked with (e.g., “My clients include....").
• Awards or honors (e.g., “Recipient of the XYZ Leadership Award”).
• Testimonials, publications, or features (e.g., “Featured in Forbes 30 under 30”).

Include skills and keywords

LinkedIn is one giant database, and keywords are critical for showing up in hiring searches. Add the keywords and hard and soft skills most relevant to your ideal role or field.

You can either have a dedicated section and/or sprinkle them in naturally throughout your About section. Also, be sure to take advantage of LinkedIn’s own Skills feature

Show some personality

While your resume should be more of the "just-the-facts, ma'am" document, your LinkedIn profile is an opportunity to show people who you are as a person.

A dash of personality can make you relatable and likable—and make people want to connect with you.

What do you nerd out on? How do you spend your free time? Sharing just a tidbit or two about you can go a long way.

Optional: What you're looking for and how people can help

If you’re open to sharing that you’re searching for your next role, use this space to be clear about your ideal opportunity and how people can help you. And be specific in how people can help.

Instead of "I'd love to connect" say "If you know mid-size companies in the mental wellness space that need a B2C product manager, I'd love to get an introduction." Now someone knows precisely if and how they can help you.

Make it skimmable

I know this looks like a lot of content to include in your About section. But you can have these sections and still make it readable. It just takes some intentionality to break up the text and make it skimmable.

• Use short sentences and paragraphs.
• Add lots of paragraph breaks for white space.
• Incorporate formatting like ALL CAPS for section headers, pipes in between a list (relationship management | client service) and even an emoji or two (just don’t overdo it).

Recruiters, hiring teams, and potential connections read your About Section. It’s your chance to showcase your story, your value, and your personality. Don’t waste it.