A good LinkedIn About section says, in plain first-person sentences, what you do, who you do it for, what you are good at and what you want next, with the most important point in the first two lines. Those opening lines matter most, because they are all most visitors see before the “see more” link. The rest can add proof, such as results, skills and the kind of work you enjoy.
Table of Contents8 sections
This guide covers what to include, a simple order for writing it, sample wording for five common situations and the mistakes that make a profile easy to skip.
What Is the LinkedIn About Section?
The About section is the short block of text near the top of your LinkedIn profile, under your name, photo and headline. It used to be called the Summary, and you will still see that name in older guides.
LinkedIn’s own Talent Blog gives the limit as 2,600 characters, which is roughly 400 words. You do not need to use all of it. LinkedIn’s help pages suggest the About section should express your mission, motivation and skills, ideally in one or two paragraphs. In practice, most strong examples sit somewhere between a few short paragraphs and around half the limit.
Only the first two or three lines show before visitors click “see more”, and fewer on a phone. Treat those lines as the headline of your story.
What to Include in Your About Section
Your About section should answer five questions a recruiter, client or new contact is likely to have:
- What do you do now? Your role, field or the service you offer.
- Who do you help? The customers, teams or industries you work with.
- What are you good at? Two to four core skills, ideally with an example.
- What have you achieved? One or two results, with numbers where you can.
- What do you want next? New clients, a new role, collaborations or simply to connect.
Finish with a line on how to reach you, such as “Message me here” or a work email address if you are happy to share it publicly.
How to Write It Step by Step
Write a rough version first, then cut it down. Most About sections improve when they get shorter.
1. Write a Strong Opening Line
Open with a clear statement of what you do and for whom. “I help small cafés cut food waste and save on stock” says more in the first line than “Passionate, results-driven professional with a love of learning”. Avoid opening with your job title alone, since it already appears in your headline.
2. Add Proof
Back up your opening with one or two specific results. Numbers help readers picture what you did: the size of a team you led, the number of customers you served, or how much time a process change saved. If your work does not lend itself to numbers, describe a project and what changed because of it.
3. Name Your Skills in Plain Words
Mention the skills people are likely to search for, using the same words they would use. If you are a bookkeeper, say “bookkeeping” and name the software you use. This helps people find your profile and tells them quickly whether you fit what they need. You can list up to 100 skills in the separate Skills section, so the About section only needs the most important few.
4. Say What You Want Next
Tell readers what kind of opportunity you are looking for. A job seeker might name the type of role. A freelancer might say they are taking on new clients for a particular service. Being direct saves everyone time.
5. Close With a Contact Line
End with a simple invitation to get in touch. One sentence is enough. If you are actively job hunting, LinkedIn’s Open to Work feature lets you signal it to recruiters only or to all LinkedIn members, so you do not have to say it in the About text.
LinkedIn About Section Examples
The five samples below, from a job seeker to a team lead, show the structure in action. The people and figures are invented, so swap in your own details.
Job Seeker in Customer Service
“I solve customer problems quickly and leave people happier than when they called. For the past four years I’ve worked on the support team at a busy online retailer, handling phone, email and live chat. I’m known for calm handling of complaints and for writing help articles that cut repeat questions. I’m now looking for a team lead role where I can coach newer colleagues. Feel free to message me here.”
Career Changer
“After eight years as a primary school teacher, I’m moving into learning design for companies. Teaching taught me to explain complex ideas simply, plan lessons around clear goals and keep a room engaged. I’ve recently completed a course in instructional design and built three sample training modules, which you can see in my Featured section. I’d love to hear from teams who need clear, practical training.”
Freelancer or Small Business Owner
“I photograph food and products for small brands that want images good enough for their website and menus. Most of my clients are local cafés, bakeries and online shops. I handle styling and shooting, and deliver edited photos within a week. Have a look at recent work in my Featured section, and get in touch if you have a launch coming up.”
Student or Recent Graduate
“I’m a final-year marketing student with a particular interest in social media for small businesses. During my placement at a local agency I helped plan content for four clients and learned to read basic analytics. I’m looking for a graduate role in digital marketing starting next summer. I’m always happy to connect with people working in the field.”
Manager or Team Lead
“I lead a team of twelve in warehouse operations, and my focus is keeping orders accurate and people safe. Over the past two years we’ve redesigned our picking process and cut mistakes noticeably. I care about clear rotas, fair workloads and training people for the next step. Open to conversations with others working in logistics.”
Should You Write in First or Third Person?
Write in the first person. “I help…” reads as natural and friendly on a profile that everyone knows you wrote yourself. Third person (“Sarah is a marketing specialist…”) can sound stiff on LinkedIn, though it still suits formal speaker bios elsewhere.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Walls of text and buzzwords top the list of mistakes that make an About section vague or hard to read:
| Mistake | Better approach |
|---|---|
| A wall of text with no breaks | Short paragraphs of two or three sentences |
| Buzzwords like “passionate” and “dynamic” | Specific skills and real examples |
| Repeating your CV line by line | Two or three highlights with context |
| Leaving it blank | Even three sentences beat an empty box |
| No clear next step | One closing line on what you want or how to reach you |
Make the Rest of Your Profile Match
Your About section works best alongside a matching headline, Featured section and photo. To edit it on a computer, select the “Me” icon, choose “View Profile”, then select the edit icon in the About section and save your changes.
While you are there, check three other parts. Your headline is created from your job title by default, but you can rewrite it to show your focus. The Featured section can hold posts, articles, links and uploaded files, which makes it a good place for work samples. A clear, friendly photo also helps: LinkedIn’s help pages say members with a profile photo get up to twice as many profile views.
FAQ
How long should a LinkedIn About section be?
The limit is 2,600 characters, but you do not need to use it all. A few short paragraphs, with the main point in the first two lines, is enough for most people.
What should you not put in your LinkedIn About section?
Leave out salary expectations, negative comments about past employers, private contact details you do not want public and long lists of buzzwords.
How often should you update your LinkedIn About section?
Update it when your role, goals or main skills change, and review it every few months. A quick refresh before a job search is a good habit.