Most of us are pretty familiar with LinkedIn. It’s the networking platform for professionals. Professionals, students, entrepreneurs, anyone looking to connect in a professional capacity should be on LinkedIn. And to have a successful LinkedIn profile, you’ve got to put a lot of moving parts together including a summary. LinkedIn summaries are keys to getting noticed, so let’s take a look at some LinkedIn summary examples and what it takes to create a stop and get noticed one. Remember, LinkedIn is like your online business card, one quick glance can make a big difference. You’ve got to grab that attention while you can.
This post has been updated in September 2021.
But first, let’s talk about LinkedIn
Whether you have a LinkedIn profile or not, you’ve probably at least heard of the platform. LinkedIn is the world’s largest Internet professional network. Whether you are job searching, looking for someone to hire, or establishing and strengthening professional connections, LinkedIn is a worthwhile place to be. So many opportunities are here, for both you and your career. The key is getting noticed. And that goes for getting hired and attracting interest from strong talent to your business.
Your LinkedIn profile is the key to all of it. A strong profile with complete pieces will get noticed. When you showcase your talents, you’ll make yourself and your business irresistible. Here, we’ll show you some great LinkedIn summary examples. We’ll even offer tips to help get yourself a great one. When you can showcase your talent through your experience, background, and skills, you’ll see how it can help your professional life. A summary is a key to connections, and connections are keys to success.
Parts of a LinkedIn profile
Before we head on to our LinkedIn summary examples, we do want to touch on the parts of a profile you should have. Though you may not have something to fill in every aspect of a profile, the more relevant information you can include in your LinkedIn profile the better. Remember, LinkedIn is a networking tool, it’s a resume, business card, reference check, and cover letter all rolled into one. Plus it’s got that professional handshake going on.
The sections you should have on your profile include the following:
- Introduction. This is where you say who you are professionally and you should include basics like name, a photo, headline, current position, contact info, and a summary.
- Experience – This includes your work and professional experience. You don’t have to list each and every job you’ve ever held, but it should be thorough without unexplainable gaps.
- Education
- Recommendations
- Certifications – Certifications, licenses, or clearances you’ve attained in your field or that are relevant.
- Courses – List relevant and recent coursework you’ve completed
- Honors & Awards
- Languages
- Organizations
- Patents – Any patents you’ve applied for or received.
- Publications – Let the world see where your work has been published.
- Projects – Share the projects you’ve proudly worked on.
- Skills & Endorsements – A relevant list of skills on your profile helps others to understand your strengths and improves your likelihood to be found in others’ searches.
- Test Scores – Keep these relevant. When you’re 40 years old you can skip the SAT score.
- Volunteer experience – This shows that community and service is important to you
As we mentioned, you may not have a listing for each section, and that’s okay. If you don’t speak any other languages, don’t try to fit something in that isn’t true or relevant. Just move on to the next part. The introduction is important, though, and you should fill in as much as you can here.
Your LinkedIn Summary
Ahh, here we are. The summary. Your LinkedIn summary is going to be all about you wrapped up into a tight, little bundle where every word counts. The key here is catching your reader’s attention and keeping it. Your summary should be dynamic, well-written, aesthetically pleasing, and active. In fact, you can think of your LinkedIn profile and summary as a bit of social media. After all, it is. Here is where you get to paint a bright picture of yourself, share your skills, and brag a little.
So let’s talk about the parts of your summary.
1. Structure
Remember in high school when you had to write a paper? It had a hook to grab your reader’s attention and then a clear outline that provided a cohesive flow. You want that here, too. Get right to the point of how great you are and how you can be a benefit to others. Use that hook to catch your reader and keep them on the line.
2. Your mission
Just as companies now offer mission statements, you should, too. It speaks well to share what and why you do what you do. For instance, here are a couple of missions in LinkedIn summary examples:
I knew since I was a small child and would line up my stuffed anuimals to read them a book that I wanted to be a teacher. Literacy is the foundation for everything yet to come.
Witnessing the devastation that addiction can bring helped me realize that my calling is helping those struggling with this. That is why I began my work as an addiciton counselor and strive to create a community free of addiciton.
3. Expertise
Here is where you can brag on yourself. Do you have a background full of successful projects? What about specialties and concentrations. Take a few sentences here to explain why you are qualified.
4. Data
We love good numbers to quantify your successes. Here is where you succinctly can report on your expertise and skills. For instance, in these LinkedIn summary examples regarding data, you’ll see:
Successfully led a team of 5 creatives to design, implement, and execute a 200 square foot mural depeicting racial awareness on an outside restaurant wall in downtown Atlanta.
For the past five years, I have met and exceeded my sales quotas and won Sales Person of the Year at XYZ Company three years in a row.
5. Searching or hiring?
Clarify whether you are job searching yourself or hiring. It’s another opportunity to speak to your skills or your company’s attributes. All you need is a sentence or two here. Are you a transcriptionist looking for work or do you want to hire a ghost writer for your new book idea?
6. Community/outside interest
With the move toward service and community interest, this is the right place to include a bit about what your company (or you) does for your community. It can be as simple as “All are welcome here” or as detailed as “We encourage community service through days off where all team members can have time to work with a service organization close to them.” or “I take time every week to mentor a student in the area of science.”
7. Putting it together
Don’t be afraid to break up your long summary into smaller paragraphs. Use short sentences and active writing for the most impact. You’re going to have a lot of key points here so make sure they can all shine.
Some stand out LinkedIn summary examples
We’ve given you some hints of what to do, now let’s put it together to see how it becomes a whole. Here are some examples we think have it all.
Example 1:
As a Charlotte native and a second generation real estate agent, I love helping people purchase and sell homes in the area! I am a real estate consultant, not a salesperson, and I can help you see, prioritze, and satisfy your real estate needs. Together, we can reach your home goals in a stress free and timely manner.
I stay up to date on current market trends for the metro Charlotte area with the use of ChartPros Service, LLC, a 3rd party stats platform used exclusively by a select group of realtors. I love current trends and understand how they affect property sales and love to help buyers see homes through their eyes and imagine possibilities. My team of five agents will both get your property into the strongest marketing position and increase your chances of receiving the highest dollar as well as find the perfect property for those who are searching for their home.
I enjoy volunteering at the Charlotte Humane Society and always welcome your dog on our house hunts. After all, family is family.
Example 2:
After 20 years of teaching science in the public schools, I have transitioned to private tutoring, enrichment, and remediation services. My greatest passion is finding what makes young minds work and watching ideas and interests blossom. My skills include a variety of teaching strategies geared towards the individual, connecting with the students, and making learning relevant, fun, and doable.
I have recently tutored children from ages 7 thru 18 and we have seen gains in grades and test scores, along with acceptances to first choice colleges. I can help with basic science foundations all the way through AP test prep. Whether you want consistent weekly tutoring or short-term work with a specific goal, I am happy to help.
I also work within the community and lower income schools once a week to provide pro bono tutoring to reach as many learners as I can. When I’m not tutoring, you can find me playing violin in our community orchestra or planning my next trip to Disney.
You can see the tones in both are causal yet professional, skills and missions are explained, and there are quantifiable statements as well as humanizing ones. Both share professional qualities and show depth in careers.
Do I need a LinkedIn Profile Writer?
Not everyone is a writer. It’s not always easy putting it all together, but with the help of a professional writer, your LinkedIn profile can be a top-notch example to get you noticed. It’s important the writer knows your goals, and then they can create the profile you want. Even though LinkedIn can seem intimidating, it’s a key element in finding a job, hiring the people you want, and staying connected within your field. Make the time to get a great summary together or find a pro to help. You can even check out these LinkedIn tools that will help you make the most out of the platform.
