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Upgrade for unlimited →How to write a great LinkedIn summary
Your LinkedIn 'About' section is your story in your own words. The best summaries open with a hook, show real achievements with numbers, and end with what you're looking for. Write in first person, keep it human, and use the keywords recruiters search for in your field.
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Try VeloApply free →What this is for
The About section is the one part of your profile where you get to explain yourself in your own words. Most people either leave it empty or paste their resume summary into it, and both are wasted opportunities.
What belongs in it
Context your resume cannot carry. Why you work on what you work on, the kind of problem you are good at, and where you are heading. A resume lists what you did. The About section explains why it hangs together.
A structure that reads well
- An opening line that says what you do, plainly, without a wind up.
- A short paragraph on your focus and the kind of work you do best.
- Concrete evidence, one or two things you actually delivered.
- What you are looking for now, if you are looking.
Write it in first person
Third person profiles read as if someone else wrote them, which is exactly the impression to avoid in a section meant to sound like you. Write the way you would explain your work to someone at a conference.
The first two lines carry the weight
LinkedIn truncates the About section, so most readers only see the opening before deciding whether to expand it. Put your clearest sentence first and save the background for later in the text.
Frequently asked
How long should a LinkedIn summary be?
Long enough to explain your focus and show evidence, short enough that someone reads it all. Three or four short paragraphs suits most profiles.
Should I write my LinkedIn summary in first or third person?
First person. Third person reads as a press release and creates distance in the one section meant to sound personal.
Can I reuse my resume summary on LinkedIn?
It is a weak substitute. A resume summary is compressed for a document a recruiter skims; the About section is read by people deciding whether you are interesting.
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