Having a strong LinkedIn profile is crucial for any professional looking to advance their career or find new job opportunities. An important part of creating an effective LinkedIn profile is writing an engaging description that highlights your skills, experience and accomplishments. Here are some tips and examples for writing a compelling LinkedIn profile description.
Keep it concise
You want your description to be long enough to showcase your background, but not so wordy that readers lose interest. Aim for 2-3 paragraphs or 250-500 words. Get straight to the point in summarizing your professional experiences and abilities.
Tailor it to your industry
Cue in on keywords and terminology used in your particular field. For example, an engineer should emphasize technical expertise, while a graphic designer should highlight creative skills. This helps your profile come up in relevant searches.
Focus on achievements
Go beyond just listing job titles and responsibilities. Quantify your accomplishments with details like “Increased sales by 30% over 2 years” or “Led team of 10 to launch major website redesign under budget and 3 weeks ahead of schedule.” Use bullet points to organize key achievements.
Add media
Insert links to your professional website, portfolio, publications, slide decks or other content that illustrates your work. Visuals help bring your profile to life.
Align with your audience
Tailor your description for your target audience – whether clients, recruiters, or colleagues. Emphasize different skills for different readers. For example, technical expertise for a software role or leadership abilities for a management position.
Reflect your brand
Your description should align with your professional brand identity. Reinforce your key differentiators like subject matter expertise, creativity, strategic thinking, or ability to innovate.
Explain career shifts
If you are changing careers or reentering the workforce after a gap, briefly explain these transitions. Demonstrate how your transferable skills apply.
Express your aspirations
Briefly share your career goals and how you want to develop professionally. This gives readers context about where you want to go next.
Proofread thoroughly
Carefully check for typos, grammar issues and unclear phrasing. Ask a friend to review as a second set of eyes. A polished description reflects positively on your communication abilities.
Update it regularly
Revisit your profile description every few months to add new skills, achievements and career details. An outdated description suggests you are not actively managing your career.
Examples of Good LinkedIn Profile Descriptions
Here are some examples of strong LinkedIn profile descriptions for different industries:
Software Engineer
Software Engineer with 5+ years of experience developing web and mobile applications. Core expertise in JavaScript, Node.js, React, Python and AWS. Designed backend architecture for e-commerce site handling over 1M visits per month. Seeking new opportunities to utilize technical skills and problem-solving capabilities.
Marketing Director
Accomplished marketing leader with 10+ years of experience driving growth through innovative branding, digital marketing, and strategic partnerships. Track record of increasing sales 30-50% year-over-year by orchestrating award-winning campaigns on modest budgets. Passionate about leveraging analytics and consumer insights to create engaging customer experiences.
Accounting Manager
Detail-oriented Accounting Manager with 7 years of experience overseeing all aspects of financial reporting and analysis for S&P 500 manufacturing firm. Led international team of 5 accountants. Spearheaded initiative to implement new ERP system under budget by Q2 2022. Strengths in regulatory compliance, budget management, forecasting, and building relationships with cross-functional partners.
Graphic Designer
Creative Graphic Designer adept at taking concepts from ideation to completion with 5+ years of agency and in-house experience. Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and design thinking principles. Portfolio includes brand identity systems, publication layouts, packaging, and UI/UX design for web/mobile. Excellent visual communicator and collaborator seeking new opportunity to make emotional connections through design.
Tips for LinkedIn Profile Descriptions by Section
Here are some additional tips for writing the description in each section of your LinkedIn profile:
Headline
- Summarize your professional identity in 2-3 lines
- Include your current job title and company
- Add keywords related to your specialty
About section
- Provide an overview of your career history and accomplishments
- Use numbers to quantify achievements
- Emphasize transferable skills
Experience section
- Start with your current or most recent job
- Include title, company, employment dates
- Use bullet points to describe responsibilities and achievements
- Tailor details to each specific position
Skills section
- List hard and soft skills relevant to your field
- Include technical abilities, methodologies, software, etc.
- Add skills that set you apart from the competition
Education section
- List college degrees and any academic achievements
- Add relevant coursework and training certifications
- Mention study abroad programs and activities
Conclusion
An engaging, well-written LinkedIn profile provides a snapshot of your professional capabilities and aspirations. By taking the time to craft a compelling, achievement-focused description, you can stand out from the crowd and catch the eye of potential employers and connections.