Killer LinkedIn summaries

This story appeared in Forbes Magazine in 2018 but it’s still good. It’s a succinct piece on the importance of the LinkedIn summary. Something I focus on a lot. The summary tells a story in strong verbs, of achievement and results. It packs a punch.

“Over the past decade, I have read tens of thousands of LinkedIn profiles as part of the work I do to help companies maximize the value of LinkedIn.

Your profile is so important to your career success (it is often people’s first impression of you) that you should make more than a cursory attempt to get it right. Just having a profile is not enough.

In fact, an incomplete or unimpressive profile will actually work against you, telling decision makers “stay away” rather than “get to know this person.” To build a compelling profile, four components are especially important to personal branding:

Headline

Headshot

Summary

Background

Your LinkedIn Summary is the place where you tell your story. Don’t confuse it with the Experience section. In the Experience section, you share facts about what you do and all your brilliant accomplishments. In your Summary, your accomplishments are just part of the story.

The complete narrative should share your values, passions and strengths, telling people who you are and why they should care.

The first few lines are critical. They’re the only thing viewers see when they first look at your profile. This means the words need to be so magnetic and enticing that they make the reader click on “show more” to get the whole story.”

For more go to:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2018/06/03/the-best-linkedin-summaries-and-advice-on-how-to-make-yours-shine/#2ad74d462ff7

Put your best foot forward

Malcolm builds expert resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles, which unleash an unbeatable business case to promote you as a ‘must have’ asset to an employer.