LinkedIn Guide 2026
LinkedIn About Section
How to Write a Summary That Actually Gets You Noticed
Updated April 2026
Structure · Templates · Before & After · Common mistakes
The LinkedIn About section is 2,000 characters of space most people waste on vague generalities or leave completely blank. This guide shows you exactly what to write, how to structure it, and includes copy-paste templates for every situation.
Why Most LinkedIn About Sections Fail
The About section is the first place someone goes after your headline catches their attention. It’s your only chance to speak in your own voice — not in bullet points, not in job title shorthand, but in actual sentences that communicate who you are, what you do, and why it matters.
Most profiles fail for one of three reasons: they’re left blank (missing the opportunity entirely), they’re a copy of the CV (repeating information already in the Experience section), or they’re full of buzzwords with no substance — “passionate professional with a proven track record of delivering results” tells a recruiter absolutely nothing.
The About section that works does three things: it communicates your specific value clearly, it contains the keywords that get you found in search, and it ends with a call to action that tells the reader what to do next.
✗ What most people write
“I am a passionate and results-driven marketing professional with extensive experience in delivering exceptional outcomes across multiple industries. I thrive in fast-paced environments and am always looking for new challenges.”
Every word is vague. No keywords. No value. No reason to keep reading. Could describe literally anyone.
✓ What actually works
“I run paid social for B2B SaaS companies — specifically the ones that are spending money on LinkedIn ads but not seeing pipeline growth. In the last 3 years I’ve managed £2.4M in ad spend and generated over 800 qualified leads for clients in Fintech, HR Tech, and Legal Tech.”
Specific. Concrete numbers. Clear niche. Immediately answers “what do you do and should I care?”
The 5-Part Structure That Works
Every high-performing LinkedIn About section follows the same basic structure. You don’t need all five parts — three or four used well beats five done poorly.
1
Opening hook — what you do and for whom
The first 2–3 lines are all that’s visible before the “see more” cut-off. These lines must earn the click. Lead with the most compelling, specific thing about you — not your job title, but your value.
Example: “I help Series A startups hire their first 20 engineers — fast, and without paying agency fees.”
2
What you’ve actually done — specific results
Two to four sentences with real numbers. Revenue generated, costs saved, projects shipped, teams led, clients served. Numbers make vague claims credible instantly. If you don’t have big numbers, specificity still beats generality.
Example: “Over 8 years in e-commerce, I’ve built and scaled email programmes for 14 brands — taking average open rates from 18% to 34% and recovering £380K in abandoned cart revenue.”
3
What you specialise in — keywords for search
A short list of your core skills and specialisations. This section does double duty: it tells humans what you’re good at, and it signals to LinkedIn’s algorithm what searches you should appear in. Be specific rather than broad.
Example: “I specialise in: Klaviyo · Email automation · Customer lifecycle · DTC e-commerce · Retention strategy · A/B testing”
4
A human line — personality and context
Optional but powerful. One or two sentences that make you a person, not a profile. Where you’re based, what you care about outside work, something that makes you memorable. Recruiters respond to real humans.
Example: “Based in Edinburgh. When I’m not thinking about retention curves I’m probably hiking or reading about behavioural economics.”
5
Call to action — what to do next
End with a clear, specific action. Don’t end on a trailing sentence about being “open to opportunities.” Tell people exactly what to do — connect, message, email, visit a website. Make it easy.
Example: “If you’re looking to reduce churn or grow email revenue, feel free to connect or message me directly. Always happy to talk.”
Copy-Paste About Section Templates
Three full templates for different situations. Click any to copy the whole thing — then replace the bracketed placeholders with your own information. Each is under 2,000 characters.
Job seeker template — works for most industries
I’m a [job title] with [X years] of experience in [industry/field].
Over that time I’ve [specific achievement with number] — [brief context about how or where].
What I do best:
· [Skill or specialisation]
· [Skill or specialisation]
· [Skill or specialisation]
· [Skill or specialisation]
[One sentence about your approach, values, or what makes you different.]
[One human/personal line — location, interests, context.]
[Call to action — what should someone do if they want to work with or hire you?]
click to copy
Freelancer / consultant template
I help [specific client type] [achieve specific outcome] — without [common pain point or obstacle].
[2-3 sentences about how you do it, your method, or your track record with a number.]
Recent work includes:
· [Project or result 1]
· [Project or result 2]
· [Project or result 3]
I work with [client types] in [industries or sectors]. My background is in [relevant experience].
If you’re dealing with [problem you solve] and want to [outcome], let’s connect.
[Your preferred contact method or website.]
click to copy
Graduate / student template
[Degree] graduate from [University], currently seeking [type of role] in [industry].
During my studies I [most relevant experience — project, dissertation, placement, society role] which gave me hands-on experience in [skills].
I’m particularly interested in [specific area of field] because [genuine one-sentence reason].
Skills I’m developing:
· [Skill]
· [Skill]
· [Skill]
· [Skill]
Outside of [degree subject] I [one personal detail — sport, volunteering, interest].
Open to [graduate schemes / internships / entry-level roles] starting [date]. Feel free to connect or message — I’d love to hear from people working in [field].
click to copy
Formatting Your About Section for Maximum Readability
LinkedIn’s About section is plain text — you can’t use bold, headings, or bullet points from standard keyboard input. But there are two ways to make it scannable.
Line breaks: Short paragraphs with white space between them are far more readable than a dense block of text. Keep each paragraph to 2–4 sentences. A blank line between sections takes no characters but transforms how readable the whole thing feels.
Unicode symbols as bullet points: Since LinkedIn doesn’t support HTML bullets, use Unicode characters as visual list markers. The most professional choices are · (middle dot), ▪ (small square), or → (arrow). These copy and paste perfectly into LinkedIn and render cleanly on every device.
💡
The “see more” cut-off
LinkedIn shows approximately the first 200–220 characters of your About section before hiding the rest behind a “see more” link. Those first lines are your hook — they must be compelling enough to earn the click. Write your opening line assuming it might be the only thing someone reads. Lead with your strongest, most specific statement.
FAQ
Should I write my LinkedIn About section in first or third person? First person (“I help brands…”) is strongly preferred. Third person (“Jane is a marketing professional…”) reads as stiff and formal on LinkedIn — it’s a social platform where people expect a human voice. First person is warmer, more direct, and more credible.
How long should my LinkedIn About section be? Between 300 and 1,200 characters is the effective range. Long enough to communicate real substance, short enough that someone will actually read it. The 2,000-character maximum is there if you need it, but most strong About sections don’t need more than 800–1,000 characters.
Should I include keywords in my About section? Yes — LinkedIn’s algorithm considers your About section when ranking you in search results. Include the job titles, skills, and industry terms that recruiters or clients would search for. But write them naturally into sentences rather than stuffing them in lists — a wall of keywords reads as spam to both humans and the algorithm.
What if I have no impressive results or numbers to share? Specificity beats scale. You don’t need to have grown revenue by millions — “managed the social media for a local coffee brand, growing from 400 to 2,200 followers in 8 months” is far more compelling than “experienced in social media management.” Small specific numbers are better than no numbers.
Is the About section the same as a cover letter? No — a cover letter is written for a specific job application. Your About section is a standing, always-on profile that needs to work for everyone who visits: recruiters, potential clients, collaborators, and people who found you via search. Write it to your ideal reader in general, not to a specific job posting.
