LinkedIn Summary Tips for Success

Whether you are looking for a career change or a higher-level position in your desired field, having a LinkedIn profile is important. It is one of the first places for hiring managers to learn about the people who apply for positions. According to the marketing company Adscode, 122 million people have reported receiving an interview invitation from their LinkedIn profile.

There are many ways you can improve your LinkedIn profile to get noticed by recruiters and employers. You may want to consider these summary tips; the summary is top section of a profile, used to share information about who you are to help improve your profile. Using social media as a job search tool is key to your success in finding a job that fits your career goals.

Think Like a Hiring Manager

Write a paragraph to highlight your skills, whether it is on-the-job experience or an internship. For example, if you are working on an academic research paper, include it in the summary. If you are a freelancer and want to showcase your entrepreneurial spirit, include it in your summary.

Write a Specific Summary

LinkedIn is a great place to show personality by using descriptive words of your experience and skills within the framework of career aspirations. Here is a full summary found on the top section of your profile (about me) that would catch the attention of influencers, hiring managers, and recruiters.

Florida International University student studying journalism, with experience as an intern reporter for a reputable news station. A proud newspaper writer for the Local City Times, sharing writing tips to create high-quality essays and academic papers for students on campus. An active participant in the Writers Guild of Fort Lauderdale, networking with experienced authors. Expecting to graduate with high honors in 2020, with a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications.

This summary includes the five W’s: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. This gives the reader a full understanding of who you are.

Contact Information

Don’t be afraid to include other social media accounts and websites that showcase your work, personality, and thoughts about your industry. If you are comfortable, set up a professional website.  Providing a link to your website and email address is also helpful. Adding your contact information in your summary is a convenient way for people to connect with you by phone, email, or social media to improve your chances of networking online.

Include Your Professional Aspirations

What do you seek in an internship or career? If you envision yourself working in a specific environment, you may want to include that you want to work for a small business, a nonprofit, or in a specific city with a certain work culture.

For example, you might write a sentence that says, Interested in working for a young startup within a casual business workplace. A hiring manager will not know what kind of employee you can be, or your ideal working environment, unless you include it clearly in the summary.

Final Thoughts

Most professionals use LinkedIn every day and receive messages from recruiters and CEOs to help them with things they can’t solve internally with current employees; leaders are always searching for new talent to bring into a company.

Write a summary with the five W’s to avoid confusing people about who you are and what you want in a career. Think like a hiring manager by using the job description and writing sentences that are aligned with what a potential employer wants in an employee.