Your LinkedIn Summary: A Spotlight on Your Career

By now most of us—if not all—are using LinkedIn, that social media site for business professionals. You’ve added your relevant career information, included attachments and videos to highlight your work experience and made connections with like-minded professionals. But how much time was spent developing your LinkedIn summary?

Heather K. Margolis

January 16, 2014

2 Min Read
Your LinkedIn Summary: A Spotlight on Your Career

By now most of us—if not all—are using LinkedIn, that social media site for business professionals. You’ve added your relevant career information, included attachments and videos to highlight your work experience and made connections with like-minded professionals. But how much time was spent developing your LinkedIn summary?

Think of your LinkedIn summary as a spotlight on your career—it is your mission statement and sales pitch all in one. The summary should highlight career achievements, list relevant experience and include keywords for search results.

The summary section provides a lot of real estate, allowing you to write up to 2,000 words. Use these words wisely to attract potential business through LinkedIn’s search results. The key is to write about yourself in a way that is really about your target reader.

Tips to consider when crafting your LinkedIn Summary:

  • Tell a story – write in a captivating way that guides readers along your career path

  • Break up the copy – instead of writing one long paragraph, break up the copy with headers, short paragraphs and bullet points

  • Include a call-to-action with your contact information so potential customers can easily contact you

  • Include any videos of yourself highlighting what you bring to the table

  • Make sure to highlight partner successes and consider including mini case studies

When you start writing, consider these questions / prompts:

  • What is the objective of your LinkedIn Profile? Who do you want to connect with

  • What’s your management or work style?

  • What personal attributes do you have that your prospective clients will value?

  • Talk about your overall experience vs. specific job related tasks

  • Highlight an overall career achievement

Now it’s time to make your LinkedIn profile speak for you. Start this year off right by making some of these updates.

Is there anything we’ve missed? What else do you plan to include in your summary?

Read more about:

AgentsMSPsVARs/SIs

About the Author

Heather K. Margolis

Heather K. Margolis

Heather K. Margolis, a self proclaimed “recovering channel professional,” founded Channel Maven in early 2009. Heather is passionate about enabling vendors and their channel partners to drive more business through their channel programs. Having led channel programs for companies like EMC, EqualLogic and Dell, Heather helps channel organizations of all sizes build smarter channel programs, manage channel relationships to find added value, and engage their communities through social and traditional media. Heather regularly speaks to manufacturer and channel partner audiences about getting the most from social and traditional media. She also speaks to a variety of audiences about entrepreneurship, building a service business, and B2B strategy.

A proud alum of Babson’s MBA program, Heather grew up in Massachusetts and now calls beautiful Boulder, Colorado, home where she and her husband (and dog Zoe) can be found hiking, foodie-ing, or attempting to tear up the slopes.

See more from Heather K. Margolis
Free Newsletters for the Channel
Register for Your Free Newsletter Now
Subscribe

You May Also Like

Galleries
See all
Mar 24 - Mar 27, 2025
The Channel Partners Conference & Expo, co-located with MSP Summit, is the gathering place for the technology services community. Agents, VARs, MSPs, integrators and service providers will converge to share ideas and drive discussion on the topics shaping our industry.
REGISTER NOW