What does your LinkedIn About section say about you?
Does it evoke a “Meh”, or does it scream “You need to hire me!”? Will it bore people, or attract them to you?
Before I first speak with prospective clients, I take a look at their LinkedIn profiles.
I want to determine whether or not they’re using LinkedIn to full advantage, and to find out more about them than what’s in the executive resume they’ve sent me.
And, I want to see what executive recruiters and hiring decision makers see when they search for candidates like this one on LinkedIn, and land on their profile.
I want to see if their LinkedIn About section powerfully markets the value they offer.
I especially want to see if, along with showcasing their areas of expertise, their personal brand is evident in the About section.
This is one of the best places on your LinkedIn profile to use storytelling to give people a feel for your personality and how you operate.
Often I see just a drab mere paragraph or two in their About sections. All that’s there is a string of keywords (that may or may not be relevant to their target employers) padded with just enough verbs to make the sentences flow.
Yes, the right keywords are critical to help them get found. But the minimal amount of information there does nothing to differentiate these job search candidates.
Often the content is generic, and could apply to just about anyone like them. These About sections don’t distinguish them from others who offer similar expertise.
The same measly paragraphs could be plunked down into the profile of just about any other executive doing the same kind of work.
In other words, their profiles don’t make them stand out in a positive way. And if they don’t stand out, people assessing them (recruiters and other hiring professionals) are likely to pass right by them in search of others who appear more qualified.
Even if you are more than qualified for the jobs you’re seeking, an anemic LinkedIn Profile will do little to nothing to make that clear to the right people.
How to Optimize Your LinkedIn About Section
Use all the space allowed.
Start with the goal of using as much of the maximum 2,600 characters and spaces as you can.
Remember this:
More content = more relevant keywords = increased Search Engine Optimization (SEO), or better find-ability for your profile . . . and for you.
Personal branding generates chemistry.
Sure, personal branding includes your strengths and areas of expertise. These usually translate to relevant keywords. But don’t forget the “personal” part of personal branding.
Give yourself permission to express your individuality and personality. Let people know what you’re like to work with, how you get things done, and what attributes you use to benefit your employers.
When you do the personal branding work, you’ll uncover things like your key personal attributes, passions, and values. These things help you define what differentiates the value you offer over others competing for the same jobs.
Some ways to show your personality in your LinkedIn About section
Use storytelling. Include a few specific examples (with metrics, if possible) of past contributions that benefited your employers, using the Challenges – Actions – Results (CARs) method.
Add a quote from someone you work with (info not included in one of your LinkedIn recommendations) that supports your brand and unique value.
Include a saying you’re known for, or describe your leadership style, or your philosophy.
Write in first person, using the word “I”, to make a more vibrant connection with people than using third person.
If a passion of yours led you to do the kind of work you do, describe that passion and how it lead you to your current path.
Choose your top 3 or 4 areas of expertise (or relevant keywords) and, in bulleted points, provide an achievement of yours in each area.
For visual appeal, make sure you include plenty of white space and short paragraphs. Add some pizzazz with special characters. Break down the information into sub-sections, with headers in all caps, as I’ve done in my LinkedIn profile.
A little more about relevant keywords and phrases.
If you want executive recruiters and your target employers to find you on LinkedIn, you need to draw them to your profile through the relevant keywords and phrases they search to source candidates like you.
These hiring professionals search on keywords relevant to the kinds of candidates they’re seeking, such as “Information Technology Executive, Enterprise Business Systems”.
Working from this understanding, you need to determine (through research) which are the right keywords for your particular job search.
Strategically placed, the right keywords elevate your search rankings in LinkedIn’s search engine. This increases your profile’s SEO and significantly boosts the likelihood you’ll be found and considered by them.
A keyword tip: Try to set aside space for your “Specialties”, where you can list those keywords that represent your top areas of expertise.
Edit and proof the content before posting.
Do your writing in a Word document and use SpellCheck. But also carefully proof it yourself and have someone else proof it, too. SpellCheck sometimes gets things wrong.
To keep the content within the 2,600 allotment, use Word’s character count feature. Just remember that this count doesn’t include spaces, so you may need to do some more minor editing as you post the content to your LinkedIn profile.
Include misspellings and other names you’re known by.
Leave a little extra space at the bottom of the About section to list these so that people who search your name using a misspelling, alternate name, or nickname will still find your profile.
More About LinkedIn and Executive Job Search
How to Write a Dazzling LinkedIn About Section
5 Toxic Beliefs That Can Derail Your Executive Job Search
How to Network Into an Executive Job, Even If You Hate Networking