Why does your LinkedIn job description matter?
Your LinkedIn profile is often the first impression hiring managers get of you. With over 722 million users on LinkedIn, it’s no wonder that 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn to vet candidates. Your job descriptions are a crucial part of showing recruiters why you’re the right fit for a role. But crafting a compelling job description takes strategy and finesse. Follow these tips to make your LinkedIn job descriptions stand out.
Showcase your biggest accomplishments
Don’t just list your day-to-day responsibilities in your job descriptions. Highlight your biggest achievements and contributions instead. Quantify your accomplishments with numbers whenever possible. For example:
– Increased website traffic by 50% within 6 months through SEO optimization
– Generated over $500K in new revenue by launching a new product
– Reduced customer support ticket volume by 20% by improving self-service options
Specific accomplishments like these help hiring managers understand the impact you made. They also give you metrics to benchmark your performance over time.
Tailor each description to the role
Don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to your LinkedIn job descriptions. Tailor each one to showcase the skills and experience most relevant for your target role. For example, if you’re applying for marketing jobs, elaborate on the marketing projects you led. If you want to get into product management, focus on the product launches you spearheaded.
Customizing your descriptions takes more work but pays off. Hiring managers can instantly see why you’re a fit based on each tailored description.
Use keywords strategically
Many companies use applicant tracking systems to scan resumes and LinkedIn profiles for relevant keywords. Identify 5-10 key skills or requirements commonly requested for your target role. Then, work those keywords into your job descriptions organically. You’ll surface in more searches with the right keywords.
Show off soft skills
Hard skills get you noticed, but soft skills get you hired. Use your job descriptions to demonstrate critical soft skills like:
– Communication – Collaborated cross-functionally to create sales presentation decks
– Leadership – Led team of 5 interns on summer program initiatives
– Project management – Coordinated product launch timelines for engineering, marketing, and sales
– Time management – Optimized lead follow-up process to respond 90% faster
Sprinkling in soft skills highlights your well-rounded capabilities beyond just hard skills.
Use numbers and metrics
Quantifying your accomplishments with numbers and metrics draws the reader’s eye on your LinkedIn profile. It also makes your achievements more memorable. Include metrics like:
– Dollar amounts – Generated $1.5M in new revenue
– Percentages – Boosted sales by 25% QoQ
– Timeframes – Cut project timelines by 2 weeks
– Ratios – Improved product usage rates from 30% to 50%
Metrics demonstrate the tangible impact you drive. Anytime you can add a number, do it.
Focus on results
Anyone can list responsibilities on their profile. Stand out by emphasizing the results and outcomes instead. For example:
Responsibility-focused: Managed 3-person sales team.
Results-focused: Managed 3-person sales team that exceeded targets by 20% in 2019.
The second description is more impressive because it spotlights the end result. Hiring managers care more about the impact you can make than your daily to-do list.
Use power verbs
Power verbs help make your LinkedIn profile more compelling and confidence-inspiring. They also vary up your language. Here are examples of great power verbs to try:
– Accomplished
– Catalyzed
– Created
– Transformed
– Launched
– Optimized
– Negotiated
– Spearheaded
Work these action-oriented verbs in to demonstrate your capabilities.
Cut the fluff
Don’t pad your job descriptions with flowery, generic language. Cut any exaggerations, jargon or fluffy claims that are difficult to quantify. For example, avoid overused superlatives like “expert” or “exceptional.” Use clear, direct language instead. Succinct, specific details are most convincing for hiring managers.
Showcase key projects
Highlight major projects and initiatives you contributed to, especially if they relate to your target role. Briefly summarize the project, your responsibilities, and the end results. For example:
“Rebranded company website and digital marketing materials, leading to a 15% increase in traffic within 2 months.”
Don’t just mention the project name. Share details that get the reader curious to learn more.
Add visuals
Visuals make your LinkedIn profile stand out. Consider adding relevant charts, graphs, or images for key projects and achievements. Visuals break up blocks of text and quickly communicate important details. Just be sure you have rights to use any images first.
Use a clear structure
Organize your job descriptions with these key sections:
– Job title and company
– Employment dates
– Overview sentence summing up your role
– 3-5 bullet points on responsibilities and achievements
– Metrics and numbers highlighting your impact
This consistent structure makes your descriptions easy to parse. Use spacing between sections for better readability.
Optimize for mobile
Many people view LinkedIn profiles on mobile. Craft descriptions optimized for small screens:
– Use short, scannable paragraphs
– Avoid long blocks of text
– Use bulleted lists instead of paragraphs when possible
– Emphasize numbers, metrics, and keywords
Mobile-friendly descriptions get your message across when viewed on-the-go.
Use a strong call to action
End each job description with a call to action so readers reach out. For example:
“Interested in discussing this work experience further? Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn!”
This friendly CTA makes it easy for recruiters to follow up.
Here’s a quick recap of tips for writing outstanding LinkedIn job descriptions:
LinkedIn Job Description Tips
Highlight achievements vs responsibilities |
Tailor each description to the target role |
Use relevant keywords |
Showcase soft skills |
Include metrics and numbers |
Focus on results |
Use power verbs |
Avoid fluff and jargon |
Feature key projects |
Incorporate visuals |
Use a clear structure |
Optimize for mobile |
Add a strong call to action |
With these tips, you can craft compelling LinkedIn job descriptions that showcase your top skills and achievements. Take the time to customize each description for your target roles. Quantify your impact with numbers and metrics whenever possible. Lastly, remember to keep your language concise, scannable and mobile-friendly.
With optimized LinkedIn job descriptions, you’ll stand out among candidates and demonstrate how your experience makes you the ideal fit. Get noticed for your dream job today by putting these LinkedIn profile writing tips into action.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn profile is a critical tool for getting noticed by recruiters and landing job interviews. Pay extra attention to crafting stellar job descriptions that grab a reader’s attention. Highlight your biggest accomplishments and quantify the impact you made. Tailor each description for the target role you want next. And incorporate the right mix of keywords, metrics, power verbs and visuals. With compelling job descriptions, you can make a winning first impression on hiring managers scanning LinkedIn profiles. Use these tips to showcase your skills, experience, and achievements to advance your career.