The Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Standout Professional LinkedIn Summary

Crafting an engaging professional LinkedIn summary is the perfect way to attract positive attention and set yourself apart from the competition. Think of your LinkedIn profile as a more robust version of your resume where you can build out different elements without being confined to the limits of an 8.5x11-inch page. Your summary – also known as the About section – is one of the first things other members see.

It can be tricky to know just what to say and to find the right balance between professional and personal. You want to come across as relatable while still positioning yourself as a leader in your field. Therefore, being strategic about how you brand yourself and what you share is essential. As you create your summary, here are a few dos and don’ts to keep in mind.

• Do brand yourself right off the bat by stating your specialty. Are you a Director of Finance? Chief Marketing Officer? Business Operations Manager? Let others know where your focus lies and what level you’re at within your career. It helps to provide some context for the rest of your statement.
• Don’t add fluff just to reach the 2,000-character count limit. Just because the space is available doesn’t mean you have to fill it. Keep your summary clear and concise. Too much information can detract from your purpose and make you appear scattered.
• Do incorporate keywords into your professional LinkedIn summary. Your profile has a separate section dedicated to skills, but it is still valuable to incorporate these keywords into your content and put more meaning behind them.
• Don’t try to be a jack of all trades. You may have a wealth of knowledge and experience, but what is most applicable to your current role or the positions you’re seeking? Avoid making your about section too generic because it can make it difficult for readers to see where and how you fit in.
• Do hype yourself up. Remember, you are selling yourself to hiring managers and other business professionals. It’s okay to call out big wins, highlight your exceptional people management skills, and show what makes you exceptional at what you do.
• Don’t forget to leave some white space. Instead of creating a solid block of text, use shorter paragraphs and incorporate bullet points where appropriate. You want the information to be easy to skim and comprehend.
• Do proofread your summary. Spelling and grammar matter. You don’t want to immediately turn people off with careless mistakes that make you look unprofessional.

You want to make your summary engaging so that it hooks others in and makes them want to read on to learn more about you. It can be helpful to do some brainstorming before you start writing to figure out what you want to call out and what will have the most positive impact. Read through different job descriptions to get a feel for the qualifications and experience employers are looking for when it comes to someone in your role and use that as a starting point.

Also, think about things that you have done that are unique to your role or your career journey. This could be anything from standing up a new department to leading through a restructuring to implementing process improvements that streamlined operations and saved the company money. This can help demonstrate how you can be an asset and take on challenges.

Complementing Your Professional LinkedIn Summary to Boost Your Brand

There are other ways you can position yourself as a leader within your industry and enhance your professional branding through LinkedIn content marketing features. Repost articles that are relevant to your field and your interests. Show that you are staying current with recent trends and developments within your industry. When you follow other business leaders, brands, and companies, the information they share will pop up in your feed.

Create your own content to share on LinkedIn Pulse as well. Do some research and write articles that offer thoughtful insight or reflections on recent developments. Provide information that others may find useful and that they can apply to their own work. This will help you to establish some credibility and authority while growing your presence.

Engage with others as well. Expand your network and start commenting on content that others share. Give positive feedback and, when appropriate, share your own expertise to build on what others have said.

Create a Comprehensive Professional Brand

Let your professional LinkedIn summary, job experience, skills, and thought leadership work together to effectively position you for new opportunities. All of this information should present a cohesive image of who you are, what you value, and what you can do. Show others why they should put their trust in you and what you have to offer.

Are you ready to get started and put your best foot forward? The team at Grammar Chic can help you develop a powerful application package complete with a polished resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. Contact us at (803) 831-7444 or [email protected] to learn more.