No single social platform will define your personal brand and clarify the unique value that you bring to an organization as well as LinkedIn, and then let’s you connect with link minded people in a professional, organized manner.
Too many job seekers use headlines such as “Unemployed” or “(blank) Professional.” Rather, the LinkedIn headline can be a great opportunity for you to sell yourself, experience and your passion for what you do. The headline on LinkedIn comes right after your name and picture. The headline is the most important part of your Profile. It’s your tagline. It’s your brand.
Is there a way that you can summarize yourself and your professional experience in terms of what you can provide and want to do, in more than two generic words? You are more than just “(blank) professional”. See below for some examples of great headlines to use.
DO: fill out your headline so it describes what you do.
Amanda Klein, MBA: Director of Strategy & Marketing at Star ★ Creating + Building Lasting Impressions for Exhibits & Events
Gordon (Gordy) Curphy, PhD: #1 Leadership Author | Coaching & Consulting Leaders, Teams & Organizations on Improving Efficiency & Effectiveness
Sara Gunn, M.A.: Move Consultant • 10 Years in Global Transition & Relocation Support • Kids Book Author on the Value of Travel and Movement
Mary Smith: Strategic/Product Marketing Analyst with 5 Years in Consumer Products (B2C): Market Assessment and Competitive Positioning
DON’T: be generic, boring, cheesy, desperate, false, off brand, or confusing.
Amanda Klein, MBA: Marketing Professional
(boring and doesn’t show us why you are special and unique)
Gordon (Gordy) Curphy, PhD: Leadership Author seeking new opportunities
(this looks desperate and undermines your value. Highlight your past achievements and future value instead. You should not be sitting back waiting for recruiters or hiring managers to find you anyway. You should be proactively seeking opportunities on your own.)
Sara Gunn, M.A.: Moving Superstar or Magical Mover
(seems a little cheesy and inaccurate)
Mary Smith: Strategic/Product/Consumer/Competitive Marketing Guru w/5 Years in Assessments, Positioning, Managing and Executive Recruiter and Specialist in various Fields
(this is confusing, not targeted, and not focused)
Yes, you can use icons such as • | or ★ to help readers separate the points in your headline. Just copy them from here and paste them in your headline after you click to “edit profile”.
TIP: The LinkedIn headline is also a great way to increase your search engine optimization (SEO). If keywords in your industry are in your headline (and summary) of your profile, then others (including recruiters) can find you more easily when they search that keyword.
Click here to read more or download our full guide on growing your brand on LinkedIn in our newest “How To Generate Leads Using LinkedIn” whitepaper.
Or for other great resources about LinkedIn, we recommend:
· 10 Creative LinkedIn Headline Examples, by Jörgen Sundberg
· Please Change Your LinkedIn Headline Now.. Here’s Why and How, by Pete Leibman
· How to Use LinkedIn To Promote Your Home Business, by Randy Duermyer
· How to Use LinkedIn as a Marketing Tool, by Bob DeStefano
This blog was compiled by our staff writers. If you are looking for a solid inbound marketing strategy, contact us today for a free consultation, we are here to help! Follow @cogomojo on Twitter, the COGO Interactive Company Page on LinkedIn, and subscribe to our blog, for more tips and resources. Thank you for reading! Your support is very much appreciated.
