The LinkedIn Headline

Question:

I’m working on my LinkedIn profile. I have just my job title for my headline; is that okay?

Answer: 

Having your job title as your entire headline is a good place to start, but probably a bad place to stop.

Keep in mind that the headline is one of the three most valuable pieces of real estate in your entire profile, along with your name and photo. You have 120 characters there, so make the most of them.

When a recruiter finds you in their list of candidates for a particular job, they see your name, picture, headline, current education, location, how many connections you have in common, and very little else. If that information is attention-grabbing, the recruiter will likely read further.

If you were the employer, which of these profiles would you read?

Results-oriented self-starter.

Creative disrupter seeking new opportunities.

Senior Marketing Director | Software Development | Customer UX Specialist.

From just that short description, you know what the third one can offer your company.  What do the first two bring to the table? Who knows? You have to attract the employer’s attention, in a good way. Otherwise, they'll skip right on to the next candidate.

A side note: don’t use “Unemployed” in your headline either. Many employers are willing to hire unemployed people, but it’s almost never a requirement. Very few employers put “unemployed” in the search box.

Think about your target market. When an employer in your field is looking for someone like you, what will they put in the search box? Help them find you by putting those words in your headline.

Make your headline descriptive and short (no more than 120 characters; LinkedIn will let you know when you get close to the limit.) Use keywords from your industry to help employers find you. Don’t be humble. If you can do all that and also show a little bit of character, that’s the best of all worlds.