What the About section is actually for
The About section is the one place on your LinkedIn profile where you get to write in your own voice, in full sentences, rather than the bullet point format used in the experience section. Its job is to give a reader context: who you are professionally, what you are good at, and what you are looking for, in a way that connects the dots between the individual jobs listed below it. A well used About section makes the rest of the profile easier to interpret.
The first two lines matter most
LinkedIn truncates the About section after roughly the first two to three lines, showing a see more link for the rest. This means your opening lines need to work as a standalone hook, similar to a cover letter's opening line. Lead with something specific: your area of expertise, a notable result, or a clear statement of what you do, rather than a generic opening like I am a passionate professional with a strong work ethic.
A structure that works for most profiles
- Opening: a specific, concrete statement of what you do and where you have made an impact.
- Middle: two or three sentences on your background, key skills, or the type of problems you solve, told in a natural voice rather than a list of keywords.
- Optional: a brief note on what you are looking for next, if you are actively searching.
- Closing: a simple, low pressure invitation to connect or reach out, such as noting you are happy to talk with people in a related field.
Write like an actual person, not a resume summary
The About section is one of the few places on LinkedIn where a slightly more conversational, first person tone is appropriate and even expected. Avoid writing it in the same clipped, bullet point style as your experience section. A sentence like I spent the last four years figuring out how to make onboarding less painful for new engineering hires reads as more human and memorable than Experienced in employee onboarding process design.
Include keywords naturally, without stuffing
Recruiters do search LinkedIn using specific terms related to skills, tools, and job titles, so it helps to naturally include the terms relevant to your field somewhere in the About section. The key word is naturally: write real sentences that happen to include your key skills and titles, rather than appending a list of unrelated keywords at the end, which reads as an obvious attempt to game search and can undercut the credibility of the rest of the section.
An example worth studying
Consider the difference between: I am a results driven marketing professional with a passion for growth and a strong track record of success. And: For the past five years I have focused on turning underperforming email programs around, most recently taking a list with a declining open rate and rebuilding the entire lifecycle sequence, which brought engagement back to healthy levels within two quarters. I am currently looking for a similar turnaround challenge at a company earlier in its growth curve. The second version gives a reader something specific to remember and a clear sense of what kind of role would be a good next step, while the first could describe almost anyone.
Closing the section with a simple, low pressure invitation
Ending the About section with a brief, genuine line inviting connection or conversation, such as noting you enjoy talking with others working on similar problems, gives a reader a natural next step without pressure. This small addition makes the section feel like it was written for actual humans reading it rather than purely for search algorithms scanning it.
Adapting the About section for different career stages
Early career candidates with limited work history can lean more heavily on specific projects, coursework, or internships, described with the same level of concrete detail recommended for experienced professionals. Senior candidates and executives often benefit from a slightly more strategic tone, focused on the scale and scope of what they have led, rather than tactical day to day detail, since the reader at that level is usually evaluating judgment and leadership more than specific execution skills.
Revisit the section periodically rather than writing it once and forgetting it
An About section written years ago, reflecting an old role or an old set of goals, quietly undersells a profile that has otherwise moved forward. Revisit it every time your career direction shifts meaningfully, and treat it as a living piece of writing rather than a one time task to check off.
What to do if you freeze up trying to write about yourself
Many people find it genuinely difficult to write confidently about their own work. A useful trick is to draft the section as if you were describing a colleague you respect, using third person notes first, then convert those notes into first person sentences. This sidesteps some of the discomfort of writing directly about yourself while still producing an accurate, specific result.