Your LinkedIn About section is the most underused part of most profiles. Unlike your headline or job titles — which are constrained by format — the About section gives you up to 2,600 characters to say exactly who you are, what you do well, and what you are looking for. Most people either leave it blank or fill it with vague adjectives that tell a recruiter nothing.
This guide covers how to write a LinkedIn About section that actually works, with 10 ready-to-adapt examples for every career situation.
What Is the LinkedIn About Section?
The About section (sometimes called the LinkedIn summary) appears near the top of your profile, directly below your headline and photo. On desktop it shows the first three lines before collapsing — which means the opening sentence carries the most weight.
Recruiters read it when your headline catches their attention. Hiring managers read it when they want to understand your career narrative before an interview. A strong About section is not a restatement of your CV — it is the layer of context that makes your CV make sense.
What to Include in Your LinkedIn About Section
A strong About section covers four things in roughly this order:
- What you do and who you do it for. One or two sentences establishing your current role, your area of expertise, and the type of work you specialise in.
- Your most relevant experience or achievement. A concrete example, result, or piece of evidence that demonstrates you are good at what you say you do. Numbers work well here.
- What makes you different or what you care about. The element of your background or specialism that distinguishes you from others with a similar title.
- What you are looking for. A brief, specific statement of the kind of role or connection you are open to. Recruiters use this to decide whether to message you.
LinkedIn About Section Formula
[What you do] + [who you help / context] + [key achievement or evidence] + [what makes you different] + [what you are looking for]
Write in the first person. Use short paragraphs — two to three sentences each. Avoid bullet points in the About section; they make it feel like a CV excerpt rather than a professional introduction.
10 LinkedIn Summary Examples
Example 1: Software Engineer (Mid-Level)
I build scalable backend systems for high-growth SaaS companies. For the past four years I have worked primarily in Python and Go, focusing on API design, data pipeline architecture, and reducing infrastructure costs.
At my current company I led the migration of a monolithic codebase to a microservices architecture — reducing deployment time by 70% and cutting cloud spend by £180k annually.
I am currently exploring senior engineering and tech lead roles at companies building developer tools or financial infrastructure.
Example 2: Marketing Manager (B2B)
I help B2B SaaS companies turn content into pipeline. Over the past six years I have led demand generation and content strategy for companies ranging from seed-stage start-ups to Series B scale-ups.
At my most recent role I built the content function from scratch — growing organic traffic from 8k to 95k monthly visitors in 18 months and contributing to a 3x increase in qualified leads.
I am open to Head of Marketing or Director of Content roles at product-led growth companies where content is genuinely valued as a growth channel.
Example 3: Recent Graduate / Entry Level
I graduated from the University of Edinburgh in June 2026 with a 2:1 in Business Management. During my degree I completed a placement year at a mid-size e-commerce agency, where I managed social media accounts for three clients and ran paid campaigns with a combined monthly budget of £12k.
I enjoy the analytical side of digital marketing — particularly testing assumptions, reading the data, and iterating. I am comfortable with Google Analytics, Meta Ads Manager, and basic SQL.
I am looking for entry-level roles in performance marketing at companies with a strong learning culture.
Example 4: Career Changer (From Teaching to L&D)
After eight years as a secondary school teacher, I moved into Learning and Development in 2024 — and found that everything I had learned about designing engaging lessons translated directly into corporate training.
Since making the shift I have designed onboarding programmes for a 400-person professional services firm and built a library of e-learning modules using Articulate 360. Completion rates on my modules average 94% against a company benchmark of 71%.
I am interested in L&D Manager and Instructional Design roles where I can work on large-scale learning programmes that genuinely change how people work.
Example 5: Senior Leader / Director Level
I lead revenue operations for B2B technology companies at the scale-up stage — typically €20–100m ARR, preparing for their first international expansion or Series C.
Over the past decade I have built sales and RevOps functions at three companies, two of which have since been acquired.
I am not currently looking for new opportunities but am always willing to connect with founders, RevOps leaders, and investors working on interesting problems in the B2B space.
Example 6: Freelancer / Consultant
I am a freelance brand strategist working with consumer food and drink brands at the point of their first significant marketing investment — typically post-seed or preparing for retail distribution.
Over the past five years I have worked with over 30 brands including two that have since achieved national supermarket listings.
I take on three to four projects per year, typically six to twelve week engagements. If you are building a food or drink brand and thinking about what it needs to stand for, I am happy to have a conversation.
Example 7: Returning to Work After a Career Break
I took a two-year career break to care for a family member. I am now ready to return to work and bring my background in financial analysis back to a professional setting.
Before my break I spent six years as a Senior Financial Analyst, focusing on FP&A for a manufacturing division with a £250m annual revenue. I was responsible for the monthly close process, annual budgeting, and scenario modelling for capital investment decisions.
I am looking for FP&A or senior analyst roles, ideally in manufacturing, industrial, or FMCG sectors. I am open to hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
Example 8: Job Seeker Actively Looking
I am a UX Designer with five years of experience designing for mobile-first products in fintech and health tech. I am currently looking for my next role after a company-wide redundancy in March 2026.
My recent work has focused on simplifying complex financial journeys for non-expert users — reducing drop-off in a key onboarding flow by 34% through a research-led redesign.
I am open to full-time UX or product design roles in London or fully remote. If you are hiring or know someone who is, I am actively speaking with people this month.
Example 9: Sales Professional
I sell complex software to enterprise procurement and operations teams — typically six to eighteen month cycles, multiple stakeholders, and six-figure deal values. I have spent the past seven years in enterprise SaaS sales, consistently finishing in the top quartile of my team.
Last year I closed £2.1m in new business against a £1.8m target.
I am selectively exploring new opportunities at companies selling into manufacturing, logistics, or supply chain — sectors where I have the deepest domain knowledge.
Example 10: HR / People Professional
I build people functions for companies making the transition from start-up to scale-up — typically 50 to 200 employees, moving from informal people management to structured processes for the first time.
In my current role I took the company from zero HR infrastructure to a full performance management framework over 18 months during which headcount grew from 60 to 140. Employee NPS improved from 42 to 71 over the same period.
I am particularly interested in Chief People Officer and VP People roles at mission-driven companies where culture is treated as a strategic asset rather than a compliance function.
Common LinkedIn About Section Mistakes
- Writing in the third person. "John is an experienced marketing professional..." reads as if someone else wrote it. The About section is a first-person space.
- Using filler adjectives. "Passionate, results-driven, dynamic professional" tells a recruiter nothing. Replace them with evidence.
- Copying your CV verbatim. The About section is not a summary of your work history — use this space for context, narrative, and personality.
- Not including what you are looking for. Recruiters use the About section to qualify whether you are relevant for the role they are hiring for.
- Leaving it blank. A blank About section signals that you have not invested in your professional presence.
- Making the first sentence generic. Only the first two to three lines are visible before the "see more" collapse — make them count.
How to Align Your LinkedIn Profile With Your CV
Your LinkedIn About section and your CV professional summary should tell the same story — but they are not the same document. The CV summary is concise and keyword-optimised for ATS; the LinkedIn About section is longer, more conversational, and written for human readers.
Using resum8 to identify the skills and keywords your CV needs for a particular role also tells you what your LinkedIn About section should emphasise if you want recruiters to find you. See our guide to LinkedIn headline examples for how to extend this approach to the most visible line on your profile.
Align Your CV With the Roles You Want
resum8 shows you which skills and keywords your CV needs for a specific role — the same signals that should guide your LinkedIn About section.
Try resum8 FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How long should a LinkedIn About section be?
300–500 words is the optimal range for most professionals. Long enough to give substance; short enough that someone will read the whole thing. The 2,600-character limit is generous — you do not need to use all of it.
Should I use bullet points in my LinkedIn summary?
No. Bullet points make the About section look like a CV excerpt rather than a professional introduction. Write in short paragraphs.
What is the difference between a LinkedIn summary and a CV summary?
A CV summary is typically 3–5 lines of keyword-optimised text written to be read in under 10 seconds. A LinkedIn About section is a longer, first-person narrative written for a human reader with more context and space.
Should I include keywords in my LinkedIn About section?
Yes, but naturally. LinkedIn's search algorithm indexes the About section. Including relevant role titles, skills, and tools increases your searchability.
How often should I update my LinkedIn About section?
Whenever your role target changes, when you achieve something significant, or when you move into or out of an active job search.
Can I use the same LinkedIn summary for every job search?
The core can stay consistent, but the final paragraph — what you are looking for — should be updated whenever your target role, sector, or availability changes.