A LinkedIn summary is one of the most important sections of your LinkedIn profile. It’s often the first thing hiring managers and recruiters will look at to get a quick sense of who you are and what you have to offer.
For fresh graduates and young professionals, writing a strong LinkedIn summary can be tricky. You likely don’t have years of work experience to highlight just yet. But that doesn’t mean your profile has to fall flat! With some thoughtful writing and positioning, you can craft a compelling summary that showcases your skills, passion, and potential.
Here are some tips to write an effective LinkedIn summary as a fresher:
Keep it concise
LinkedIn recommends summaries be around 2-3 paragraphs or a few bullet points. Anything longer risks losing the reader’s interest quickly. Focus on communicating only the most important details and unique value you bring.
Lead with a value proposition
Start your summary with a clear statement of who you are, your defining traits, what you’re skilled at, and the problems you can solve for an employer. This helps establish relevance right away.
For example:
“Award-winning computer science graduate with expertise in machine learning and passion for developing innovative solutions to complex problems.”
Emphasize transferable skills
Technical expertise is important, but employers also look for soft skills like communication, collaboration, organization, and leadership. Highlight transferable abilities gained through internships, part-time jobs, volunteering, or extracurriculars.
Show don’t tell
Anyone can claim they’re a “team player” or “strategic thinker.” Back up claims like these by briefly demonstrating examples, such as “Known for building high-functioning teams and leading group projects at university.”
Match keywords
Research target companies and roles and incorporate relevant buzzwords and terminology from job descriptions into your summary. This helps increase the chance of being found in related searches.
Close with goals
End your summary with a forward-looking statement on the type of opportunity, role, or organization you’re excited to bring your skills to next. This gives the reader a clear call-to-action.
For example:
“Eager to join a fast-paced startup and contribute coding expertise to develop scalable mobile applications.”
Tailoring Your Summary
While the core of your LinkedIn summary should remain consistent, it can be helpful to tweak components based on the specific positions or companies you are targeting.
Here are some ways to tailor your summary:
Emphasize relevant credentials
If you’re applying for software engineering roles, highlight coding languages and projects in your summary. If it’s a marketing role, emphasize campaigns or initiatives you’ve launched. Feature the credentials most relevant to each opportunity.
Use key phrases
Research the key requirements and day-to-day responsibilities for positions you want. Integrate some of the key phrases and terminology from the listings into your summary.
Connect to company mission
For positions at specific companies, incorporate elements of the organization’s mission, values, or purpose into your summary. Show how your background and passions align.
Mention niche skills
If you have specialized expertise that’s less common but highly valuable to certain firms or sectors, highlight those niche abilities more prominently when targeting related roles.
Formatting Your Summary
How you structure and format your LinkedIn summary also impacts the reading experience. Follow these best practices:
Break it up
Large blocks of text are daunting to read. Break up your summary into short paragraphs or bullet points. LinkedIn recommends 3-5 bullet points as a best practice.
Use line breaks
Hitting “return” between each sentence also makes summaries more scannable. The white space improves readability.
Bold key phrases
Use LinkedIn’s built-in bold, italic, or underline formatting to make key phrases, credentials, or call-outs stand out. But don’t overdo it.
Watch character limits
LinkedIn allows a maximum of 2,000 characters for your summary, including spaces. Keep close track of character counts for each draft so you don’t go over.
Do’s and Don’ts
Keep these final do’s and don’ts in mind when writing your LinkedIn summary as a fresher:
DO:
- Keep it short, scannable, and focused
- Open with a value proposition
- Quantify accomplishments with numbers/data
- Use industry keywords and jargon
- Back up claims with brief examples
- Close with future goals or aspirations
DON’T:
- Simply list responsibilities or generic duties
- Use first-person pronouns like “I” or “me”
- Include tables, images, or graphics
- Use cliches or vague claims like “team player”
- Exaggerate or misrepresent yourself
- Copy and paste the same summary for all roles
Sample LinkedIn Summary
Here is an example of a strong LinkedIn summary for a fresher:
Results-driven computer science graduate skilled in Java, Python, and C++. Developed a flight delay prediction algorithm that improved accuracy by 15% as part of university capstone project. Passionate about leveraging data to develop solutions that enhance efficiency and sustainability. Seeking to join an aerospace or logistics startup as a software engineer and contribute expertise in machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics. Previously led a university design team that prototyped an award-winning autonomous vehicle. Known for effectively collaborating cross-functionally to complete projects on tight deadlines. Eager to build robust data models and custom analytics tools that help organizations optimize operations.
Conclusion
A compelling LinkedIn summary is vital for fresh graduates and young professionals seeking to launch their careers. While you may lack extensive work experience, carefully positioning your skills, credentials, achievements, and passions can craft a strong profile. Keep it concise, showcase transferable abilities, use data and metrics, and align with specific roles. With a well-written summary that quickly communicates your value, you can stand out and capture the attention of hiring managers and recruiters browsing LinkedIn for top talent.