Optimizing LinkedIn: Your Summary

I’ve previously said that I think that the most important part of someone’s LinkedIn Profile is their Headline. I think the next most important part is their Summary.

The Summary is where you tell the “story” of your professional life. Too often, I see someone who has just a sentence or two as their Summary. LinkedIn allows you to use a whopping 2,000 characters for this section. (FYI: this post is 2,534 characters long.)

The Summary section is where you highlight your professional experience and emphasize your goals. Put on your creative writing hat—without being overly boastful, it’s OK to brag a bit about yourself in your Summary. It’s often hard to write about yourself so don’t hesitate to ask your friends and associates for help.

It’s important to use words and phrases that someone who is searching for a person with your job skills and experience may use. Industry terminology is fine, as long as it’s mixed with more “common” terms. LinkedIn allows a searcher to use Boolean terms, so keep that in mind when writing.

My preference is that you should use personal pronouns (“I”) rather than third person. When speaking with someone in person, you wouldn’t say “Deb is an expert in…” would you?

You may want to use a word processing program to write your Summary so you can check spelling and grammar. An error here could mean that someone doesn’t read any more about you. Also, keep your paragraphs short and easy to read. You can even include sections and subtitles if you want.

The Summary section is also where you detail your Specialties. I suggest a list, rather than one long (hard to read) sentence. Use Alt characters, such as ? and • to make the list easy to scan. You have an additional 500 characters for this section, so there’s no need to be overly brief.

If you’ve applied for a job, use this section to “match” the job requirements in positions you’ve applied for. Don’t fudge the truth on your qualifications, but make sure to use the terms they used. For example, if the potential employer said they want someone who is a “strategic thinker,” use this term rather than “strategic planner.” An employer may be searching for the exact terms they listed.

It’s also a good idea to use thesaurus when writing to include synonyms. For example, I say that I’m a speaker, presenter and trainer. It may seem a bit awkward, but you’re trying to match what someone may be searching for.

The key is to make your Summary and Specialties user-friendly. Remember that you’re writing it for your reader, not for yourself.