The 7-Second Recruiter Test
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.
What Recruiters Actually Search For
LinkedIn's search works on keywords. Recruiters filter by:
- Job titles (exact matches and variations)
- Skills and tools
- Industry terms
- Certifications
Your headline needs to include the keywords recruiters use when searching for someone like you.
The 3 Parts of a Great LinkedIn Headline
Part 1: What You Do
Your primary role or expertise. Use the exact job title recruiters would search for.
Part 2: Who You Help or What You Achieve
This is what separates you from everyone else with the same job title.
Part 3: A Differentiator
A notable credential, company name, specialization, or metric.
Examples:
- "Product Manager | Building fintech products users love | Ex-Stripe, ex-Revolut"
- "Data Scientist | ML & AI for Healthcare | 3x Kaggle Grandmaster"
- "Software Engineer | React & Node.js | Open Source Contributor | Remote-first"
Formulas That Work
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]
What to Avoid
❌ "Looking for new opportunities" — Use the Open to Work feature instead ❌ "Available for freelance projects" — Add this to your About section ❌ Just your job title — You're invisible in search ❌ Generic buzzwords like "passionate professional" — Everyone is
Character Limit
LinkedIn shows ~120 characters on desktop and ~86 on mobile before truncating. Put your most important keywords first.
Try Our Free Headline Generator
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.