{"id":30585,"date":"2023-07-31T10:00:25","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T14:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/?p=30585"},"modified":"2023-07-31T12:37:12","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T16:37:12","slug":"set-yourself-apart-on-linkedin-the-about-section","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/set-yourself-apart-on-linkedin-the-about-section\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting Yourself Apart on LinkedIn: The About Section"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post was written by our resident Career Coach,\u00a0Elissa Harris<\/a>. To sign up for a free 30-minute career consultation with Elissa, please\u00a0click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

An effective LinkedIn profile for job searching or increasing your professional visibility requires more than cutting and pasting information from your resume into the online platform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can craft your About section in lots of different ways. To help you determine what is best for you and your profile, here are five questions that can help you create an About section that makes a positive first impression:<\/span><\/p>\n

Does it tell your story?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span>Does it clearly convey how you add value in a professional setting?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Use the About section to explain who you are as a professional (e.g., industry, function, and level of seniority), your skills and contributions, and your passions. The About section is basically the \u201cpitch\u201d (or introduction) you would give verbally during a networking conversation. Do not shy away from incorporating a bit of your personality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Does it appeal to your target audience? Does it adhere to your industry\u2019s norms?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Your About section should not be a summary of\u00a0<\/span>everything<\/span><\/i>\u00a0you have done but rather a forward-looking curation of the\u00a0<\/span>most relevant<\/span><\/i>\u00a0things you have done that you want to keep doing in the future.\u00a0Who is your intended audience? What information is most compelling to that audience?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Does it quickly grab the reader\u2019s attention? <\/b><\/h3>\n

Although you have 2,000 characters in the About section, only 200 characters are visible to the reader without their clicking \u201csee more\u201d to read the rest. Write a catchy (<\/span>not<\/span><\/i> cheesy) first sentence that captures who you are and encourages the reader to continue engaging with your content.\u00a0Maintain the reader\u2019s attention by writing in short paragraphs or using bullets; limit the total length of your About section to no more than 300 words.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you using relevant keywords?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Avoid overused words (e.g., \u201cpassionate,\u201d \u201cexpert,\u201d \u201cexperienced,\u201d \u201cleadership,\u201d \u201ccreative\u201d), which can become meaningless unless you demonstrate those attributes. Consider the terms a recruiter might plug into the search bar\u2014perhaps job titles or industry-specific vocabulary\u2014looking for somebody with your expertise. Use those words in your About section.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is it error free?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Proofread! Ensure that the content is easy to digest quickly and has no grammatical mistakes or typos. Confirm that all the information is factually accurate and appropriate for a public platform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you get stuck, try the following tips to identify appropriate content for your About section:<\/span><\/p>\n