Your LinkedIn headline is your most valuable piece of real estate on the platform. Learn how to craft one that makes recruiters stop scrolling.
When a recruiter searches LinkedIn, they see your name, photo, and headline. That's it. You have approximately 7 seconds to make an impression before they scroll past.
Your headline is not your job title. It's your professional value proposition in 220 characters or less.
LinkedIn's search works on keywords. Recruiters filter by:
Your headline needs to include the keywords recruiters use when searching for someone like you.
Your primary role or expertise. Use the exact job title recruiters would search for.
This is what separates you from everyone else with the same job title.
A notable credential, company name, specialization, or metric.
Examples:
Formula 1 (Role + Value): [Job Title] | [What you do for whom] | [Differentiator]
Formula 2 (Skills-first): [Skill 1] + [Skill 2] + [Skill 3] | [Current company or role]
Formula 3 (Achievement-based): [Job Title] | Helped [companies/people] achieve [result] | [Credential]
Formula 4 (Student/Early career): [Degree] Student at [University] | Aspiring [Role] | [Relevant skill or project]
ā "Looking for new opportunities" ā Use the Open to Work feature instead ā "Available for freelance projects" ā Add this to your About section ā Just your job title ā You're invisible in search ā Generic buzzwords like "passionate professional" ā Everyone is
LinkedIn shows ~120 characters on desktop and ~86 on mobile before truncating. Put your most important keywords first.
Not sure where to start? Our LinkedIn Headline Generator will help you build a compelling headline in seconds. Or try the Headline Optimizer to improve your existing one.
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