A professional headline is a critical component of your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other professional summaries. It serves as a first impression for recruiters and hiring managers, so having an impactful, tailored headline is essential. But what makes an effective professional headline? Here are some key criteria to consider:
Be Concise
Professional headlines should be short, snappy and to-the-point. You generally have just a few seconds to grab someone’s attention, so a long or meandering headline will likely get passed over. Stick to about 2-10 words that clearly communicate your professional identity and value proposition.
Emphasize Areas of Expertise
Your headline should highlight your most relevant skill sets, specialties and professional background. This gives readers a short yet specific overview of your capabilities. For example: “Digital Marketing Specialist” or “iOS Developer with 5+ years experience”. Focus on keywords and phrases thatmatter in your target roles and industry.
Customize for the Platform
Headlines that work well on LinkedIn may be too verbose for a resume, and vice versa. Tailor your phrasing to best fit the platform. Resume headlines can be slightly longer as you have more profile real estate. LinkedIn profiles lend themselves to very concise headlines that grab attention alongside other packed content.
Demonstrate Your Value
A headline should quickly convey the value you bring as a candidate. This means emphasizing tangible outcomes and contributions like “Increased website traffic by 30%” rather than just skills like “SEO experience”. Quantify your impact and differentiate yourself from other applicants.
Use Powerful Adjectives and Action Verbs
Inject your headline with strong, compelling language that captures interest right away. Dynamic verbs like “transformed”, “revitalized”, “spearheaded” make you stand out vs more generic terms. Superlatives and adjectives like “visionary”, “successful”, “leading” also establish you as a top performer.
Reflect Your Professional Persona
The tone and style of your headline should align with your personal brand identity. More corporate roles may warrant conservative language while creative positions can incorporate expression. Just ensure phrasing still feels polished and appropriate.
Examples of Good Professional Headlines
Here are some examples of strong professional headlines for different roles and situations:
For a Resume
- Passionate Project Manager with 7+ Years Experience Leading Technical Initiatives
- Customer-Focused Account Executive Exceeding Sales Targets
- Results-Driven Marketing Director Specializing in Digital Campaigns
For LinkedIn
- Digital Marketing Specialist
- Senior Product Manager
- Data Analyst | Stanford MBA
Showcasing Achievements
- Marketing Manager – Increased Lead Generation by 50% in 2019
- Sales Director Who Doubled Company Revenue in 2 Years
- Software Engineer with Over 5 Million Users Across Products
Key Words to Include
Here are some powerful verbs and adjectives to incorporate in your headline:
Verbs | Adjectives |
---|---|
Transform | Visionary |
Revitalize | Results-driven |
Spearhead | Successful |
Lead | Accomplished |
Manage | Dynamic |
Increase | Strategic |
Reduce | Creative |
Drive | Innovative |
Mentor | Expert |
Negotiate | Certified |
Words to Avoid
Steer clear of overused, generic terms in your headline such as:
- Experienced
- Skilled
- Hard working
- Team player
- Excellent communicator
- Detail-oriented
- Responsible
- Motivated
- Quick learner
While you likely possess these qualities, they don’t capture attention or differentiate you. Strive for more compelling, distinctive phrasing.
Tailor for the Position
When applying for a specific role, customize your headline with relevant keywords from the job description. For example, if it requires “supply chain optimization”, try: “Operations Manager with 5+ Years of Supply Chain Optimization Experience”. This shows immediate alignment.
Leverage Numbers and Metrics
Quantifiable details help strengthen your headline like “Managed P&L of $5M” or “Reduced Expenses by 15%”. This highlights your concrete professional contributions. But only include claims you can backup!
Conclusion
Your professional headline gives readers a powerful first impression, so craft yours carefully. Use succinct, compelling language that spotlights your top skills and achievements. Include measurable results and customization to convey your unique value. Follow these best practices, and your headline will capture attention plus clearly communicate how you can contribute to an organization or role.