An effective LinkedIn summary: 5 tips

Introduction

Exploring all the new job openings each day, in the hope that you’ll find your dream job? It’s an option. Although this can be done more efficiently: let recruiters find you. But then, of course they’ll need to be able to see, at a glance, that you are their ideal candidate. So, how do you make this happen? With a LinkedIn profile that grabs attention. Suzanne Dijkgraaf, Talent Acquisition Specialist at Brunel, sees a lot of profiles every day. And these are her five tips for an effective LinkedIn summary

1. Use the correct job title in your LinkedIn summary

"Perhaps the most important tip: make sure you describe your job title clearly. That way, it’s immediately clear to others what kind of work you do. The more concrete, the better. And, do you work for a large company? Don't forget to mention this! That makes you even easier to find."

2. Personalize your profile

"I regularly see profiles where the summary text box is empty, or contains no more than a list of skills. A shame, because a good LinkedIn summary is the chance to show off your personality, and your ambitions. The companies we are looking for professionals for need more than just a list of skills. And, by the way, you can adjust the banner in the background yourself. Those who pay attention to things like that, stand out much better."

3. Show your papers

“Don’t forget to state which diplomas and additional certificates you have obtained, and with which programs you work with a lot. Many people forget to do this because it is so self-evident, but this is precisely the type of information that you need to have in your summary. Even more, LinkedIn's algorithm works optimally when a profile is complete, which makes it even easier for recruiters to find you!"

4. Know your target audience and your network

"Pay close attention to your “tone of voice” too. Use this to get a bit of a feel for how you can best align what you want to say with the reader. Some professions have a lower threshold, so to say, so you can easily make a joke, for example - unless this is laying it on a bit too thick, of course. Other sectors may attach more value to a more serious tone. I advise against the use of icons in your summary, such as stars. These can quickly come across as unprofessional."

5. Also think about the finishing touch

"Make sure your summary looks nice and neat. Spelling errors, typos and obscure language, or ‘fluff’, distract from what really matters, and it’s a shame when that happens. So, have someone who’s got good feel for language check it over, and also keep an eye on the length; five to ten lines is sufficient. Use bullet points to make your text more scannable. If you’re using these bullet points to list your qualities, be careful that you don’t overemphasize yourself too much. What’s even better is to list what you think would be important in a (different) job, because this is often much more interesting for companies!