Yes, LinkedIn still has an About section where users can share information about themselves, their work experience, education, skills, accomplishments, interests, and more. The About section is a key part of a LinkedIn profile and allows users to build their professional brand on the platform.
What is the LinkedIn About section?
The LinkedIn About section, previously known as the Summary section, is dedicated space on a LinkedIn profile where users can provide detailed information about themselves and their professional background. This typically includes:
- A summary or objective statement
- Work experience
- Education
- Skills
- Accomplishments
- Interests and hobbies
- Volunteer work or causes
- Honors and awards
- Testimonials or recommendations
The About section allows LinkedIn users to go beyond just a job title and company to tell their full professional story. It lets users showcase their expertise, skills, achievements, and personality. Recruiters and other LinkedIn members refer to the About section to quickly learn more about someone’s background.
Why is the LinkedIn About section important?
The LinkedIn About section is a critical component of a LinkedIn profile for several reasons:
- Professional branding – The About section provides space for users to create a professional brand and narrative that goes deeper than a resume.
- Discovering common ground – Readers learn about shared experiences, skills, interests that can build connections.
- Getting found – The About section helps users get discovered in LinkedIn search results through relevant keywords.
- Evaluating fit – Recruiters and business prospects refer to the About section to determine if someone is a good fit.
- Building trust and credibility – A thoughtful About section establishes expertise and trustworthiness.
In short, the About section is essential for making meaningful connections, getting recruited, driving engagement, and standing out on LinkedIn.
What are some best practices for the LinkedIn About section?
To maximize the impact of your LinkedIn About section, keep these best practices in mind:
- Keep it succinct and scannable – Write short paragraphs, use bullet points, and call out important info.
- Customize it for your target audience – Tailor content based on who you want to connect with.
- Include relevant keywords – Incorporate keywords recruiters or prospects may search for.
- Quantify achievements – Use numbers and metrics to demonstrate impact.
- Keep it professional – Avoid overly personal info and make sure content is workplace-appropriate.
- Proofread for errors – Check for typos, grammar issues, and inaccuracies.
- Update it regularly – Edit your About section as you gain new skills and achievements.
- Use multimedia – Incorporate visuals like charts, videos, or graphics where relevant.
- Call to action – End with a call to action to connect, learn more, work together, etc.
What goes in each section of the LinkedIn About section?
Here is an overview of what type of content typically goes in each part of the LinkedIn About section:
Summary or objective statement
- Brief “elevator pitch” style intro – who you are, what you do, key strengths/skills
- Can include qualifications, specialties, passions related to work
- Written in first-person voice
- Usually 3-5 concise sentences or bullet points
Work Experience
- List of jobs/roles including company, title, dates
- Brief description of responsibilities and achievements for each
- Keywords and numbers to quantify accomplishments
Education
- Degrees attained, schools, graduation years
- Option to detail coursework, activities, academic projects
Skills
- List of key skills and competencies
- Technical skills, soft skills, languages, certifications, knowledge areas
Accomplishments
- Career highlights, awards, publications, projects delivered
- Quantify achievements with numbers like dollar amounts or percentages
Interests
- Hobbies, passions, causes outside of work
- Helps connect personally with readers
Recommendations
- Positive endorsements from managers, colleagues, clients
- Written recommendations build credibility
How often should you update your LinkedIn About section?
It’s best practice to update your LinkedIn About section regularly as your career progresses to keep it current. Here are some general guidelines on frequency:
- Every 1-2 years – Do a thorough refresh of entire About section
- When changing jobs – Update work experience and summary
- After completing education – Add new degrees, certifications
- When gaining major new skills – Add to skills list
- Monthly or quarterly – Make minor tweaks or adjustments
The key is not letting your About section become stale or outdated. Set calendar reminders to revisit your About section periodically to keep it optimized and accurate.
What are some examples of good LinkedIn About sections?
Here are a few examples of strong LinkedIn About sections:
Project Manager
- Summary: Certified Project Management Professional with 9+ years experience leading technical projects. Managed $5M+ initiatives. Excels at Agile methodologies. Looking to take on more responsibility.
- Work Experience: Led 10+ projects through full lifecycle at [Company]. Implemented new PM processes improving on-time delivery by 15%.
- Skills: Agile, JIRA, Project Planning, Team Leadership, Budgeting, Technical Documentation
- Education: MBA, University of Michigan
- Recommendation: “Janet is an outstanding project manager who delivers results on time and under budget.” – John S., Engineering Director
Marketing Director
- Summary: Innovative marketing leader with 10+ years driving growth through digital strategies and campaigns optimized for ROI. Built brand awareness and captured new audiences. Ready to take on a new marketing challenge.
- Work Experience: Grew social media following 480% to 100K+ subscribers at [Company]. Campaigns averaged 9x ROAS. Moved product from #5 to #1 in category.
- Skills: Digital Marketing, Social Media, SEM/SEO, Product Launch Strategy, Brand Building
- Interests: Running Marathons, Travel, Wine Tasting
- Education: BA Marketing, Rutgers University
Software Engineer
- Summary: Solutions-focused software engineer with 5+ years experience designing and coding scalable web and mobile apps. Core skills in React, Node.js, MongoDB. Passionate about solving complex problems that help people.
- Work Experience: Led 4-person team to build customer-facing iOS app at 100K+ downloads. Reduced login errors 60% through UX optimization.
- Skills: React, JavaScript, Node.js, AWS, iOS Swift, Agile/Scrum
- Education: BS Computer Science, MIT
- Interests: Mountain Biking, Chess, Baking
Conclusion
Having a strong, updated LinkedIn About section is critical for professional branding and opportunities. Include relevant professional background, skills, accomplishments, and interests tailored to your goals. Revisit your About section regularly to keep it optimized as your career progresses. With a compelling About section, you can maximize the impact of your LinkedIn profile.