14 LinkedIn Profile Summaries That We Love (And How to Boost Your Own)

We get it. Writing your LinkedIn Profile summary isn’t at the top of your to-do list. You’re not sure what to write. Your photo and headline make your Profile complete enough. It’s not worth your time since your company already attracts so many great candidates. [Insert your own excuse here.]

Well sometimes you need a great example — or 14 great examples — to see the summary’s magic and figure out how to write your own. Read on and prepare to be inspired.

Wait, what’s my LinkedIn Profile summary again?

Your summary is the text box at the top of your LinkedIn Profile, aka the “About” section. It’s just under your photo. It’s an open-ended space (sort of; 2,000 characters max) where you give an overview of your professional life.

Why have a summary at all?

Your summary or About section is the one place you define yourself in your own words, free of start dates and titles. Whether you use it to put career choices in context, highlight your biggest achievements, or show off your personality, the summary is your chance to put your best self out there. It strengthens your first impression in a way no other Profile section can.

I need an example. What does an excellent LinkedIn Profile summary look like?

There are many paths to a great summary, so we rounded up examples from professionals in a variety of industries and roles. Let’s take a look at 14 and explore why they shine.

Inspiring. But how do I write my own?

We put together a handy set of tips based on the best practices in the below examples. Follow this guide and you’ll be on your way to a winning profile summary.

14 examples of great LinkedIn Profile summaries — and why they work

1. Tanmoy appeals to candidates from underrepresented groups in the most authentic way

Tanmoy, director of talent acquisition at Peloton, stands out because he:

• Shows he values diversity by demonstrating pride in his heritage and world experience.
• Presents a no-BS attitude that makes him likable.
• Avoids jargon-filled phrases like “Highly motivated results-oriented recruiter with a proven track record” that too many of his peers use.
• Lists a breadth of countries visited, helping candidates find common ground when connecting.

Lines we love:

My job is to find and hire the current and future badasses in the technology industry.

I do not like pushy people.

2. Karen uses a numbered list to highlight her main career achievements and defining moments

Karen, SVP and creative director at Wunderman Thompson, stands out because she:

• Leads with her greatest accomplishments.
• Uses an anecdote to tell how her career started.
• Shares a vulnerable tidbit (husband’s cancer) that enhances her credibility in pharmaceutical advertising.
• Summarizes her job in her own words.

Lines we love:

I love selling brands. I hate selling myself.

I don’t like to advertise this fact, but I’d do this job for free.

3. Desiree focuses on her communication skills to explain why she’s a recruiter and why she’s great one

Desiree, a recruiter at Pediatrics Plus, stands out because she:

• Sticks to a theme — communication — and explains how it has shown up throughout her life.
• Instead of using overworked phrases like “proven track record of communicating,” she gives examples that prove it (e.g., debate team, college studies).
• Weaves a thread through her academic and professional experiences so they make sense.
• Highlights a problem she solves for candidates — helping them communicate their value to hiring managers.

Lines we love:

One of my first memories is going to a parent-teacher conference in kindergarten and having my teacher tell my parents, “Desiree is definitely my most . . .”

Throughout my life, I have developed this art of being able to communicate with anyone at any given time.

4. Gijo shows off his passion, skills, and accomplishments using a hybrid paragraph-bullet combo

Gijo, chief product officer at VTS, stands out because he:

• Nails the opener by succinctly stating what he does and why and why he’s good at it.
• Casts accomplishments as lessons learned, a subtle humility that makes him even more likable.
• Organizes his points to read like true introspection and career synthesis, not jargon.
• Includes numbers (proof) to quantify his achievements.
• Concludes by asking for connections.

Lines we love:

I can successfully scale software businesses from from $5 million to $1 billion in revenue.

I can align, lead, and grow product teams from 10 to 100 people.

Reach out if you want to talk about emerging tech, creating software products, or baseball.

5. Katrina hooks her readers and then connects the dots in her nonlinear career path

Katrina, a senior software developer at Crown Data Systems, stands out because she:

• Hooks her readers with a short, provocative sentence, “I caught fire coding.”
• Gives humanizing context to her career switch. “I kind of just felt meh. I yearned to learn more . . .” Her switch from proofreader to coder feels natural and real.
• Uses a keyword-rich skills list to show off her progress and intrinsic motivation in her final paragraph.

Lines we love:

I always thought my dream was to be a proofreader for an indie publishing company, sipping my café con leche and reading the opening lines to the next best-selling vampire novel. 

And that’s when it happened; the spark I was missing ignited the instant I clicked play on my first Python tutorial video.

6. Magdalena ties her role to bigger-picture impact — bettering lives around the world

Magdalena, a talent acquisition leader at Cisco, stands out because she:

• Hooks with a thought-provoking statement — humans are outnumbered by devices.
• Explains her impact: She hires great talent for Cisco, which builds cutting-edge technology, which connects the world.
• Generalizes her recruiting expertise, making herself relevant to other companies.

Lines we love:

Human beings are outnumbered by Internet devices. 

I love the fact that Cisco produces software and solutions that have an impact on everyone’s lives.

7. Damilare shares the roots of his professional passion and connects the dots to his current role

Damilare, country manager at Fintech Farm, stands out because he:

• Opens with a story from his youth that reveals his authentic, curious self.
• Makes sense of his choices both to go into HR and to study computer science.
• Shares the professional turning point — exposure to design thinking — that shapes his thinking and propelled him on his current path.

Lines we love:

Starting my career in Human Resources seemed like a mismatch at first given my B.Sc in Computer Science.

I landed on a gold mine when I attended my first Design Thinking workshop and saw the need to combine my knowledge of people and systems with my desire for problem-solving.

8. Gary appeals to his niche market with a matter-of-fact overview of his experience and capabilities

Gary, cofounder of Kids Industries, stands out because he:

• Piques interest at the start: “I used to be a school teacher” begs the question, so what happened?
• Explains the pivot point (working with Disney) that put him on his current path (family marketing).
• Earns credibility by naming specific clients, products, and specialities.
• Exudes confidence with simple and direct sentences such as “We deliver…” and “We create…”

Lines we love:

We do three things: Insight, Strategy and Creative.

We’re proud to call GSK, Disney, Mattel, WWF, Save the Children, DHX, TUI, PepsiCo, Kellogg, Manchester City FC, The English Cricket Board, Amazon and ICC as some of our clients. 

9. Shanay ties her job to her company’s big picture and shows pride in what she does

Shanay, operations manager at integrate.ai, stands out because she:

• Knows her value and shows she understands the executives she supports.
• Ties her job to the big picture (company growth).
• Gets personal (talks motherhood) yet keeps it professionally relevant and linked to her job strengths.

Lines we love:

If you want to get something done, you come to me — everyone knows that!

When I’m not at work or in denial about having a social life, I’m at home mentoring my favourite little five-year-old munchkin.

I’ll bend over backwards to help others’ dreams come true, but I also understand the importance of standing your ground and holding your own.

10. Fernando shows a unique sensitivity to his candidates

Fernando, a technical sourcer at Lithic, stands out because he:

• Offers the big picture on his profession, and calls out the pain point of many of his candidate readers — the decision to switch jobs.
• Uses “we” statements that make you feel like you’re in it together and that he’s genuinely looking out for you.
• Shares a wide range of interests and comes across as a can-talk-to-anyone kind of guy.

Lines we love:

At the end of the day, my job involves people.

I’m working to build Lithic with some really amazing people, and I want to make sure it’s right for you too.

11. Sally shows vulnerability, making herself relatable to other mission-driven professionals

Sally, a financial analyst at Johnson & Johnson, stands out because she:

• Opens up about her immigrant experience to explain where her empathy and strong work ethic come from.
• Shares an uncommon hobby (skydiving), which makes for an easy conversation starter.
• Invites her readers to connect in an approachable tone.

Lines we love:

I understand how it feels to be financially/food insecure or without opportunity and go above and beyond when an opportunity arises.

I’m always looking forward to an insightful conversation over coffee, or even better, a round of skydiving!

12. Betty appeals directly to her prospective clients and their pain points

Betty, founder and CEO of Find Your Buried Treasure, stands out because she:

• Presents her strengths in the context of what her readers need (help realizing their potential).
• Calls out the specific people she helps, such as underappreciated artists and women going through change.
• Adds a pinch of sarcasm that makes her more authentic — “artistic types who are usually brilliant, but not appreciated or valued by the world in general.”

Lines we love:

My biggest strength is being able to quickly and easily see skills, gifts and talents that people don’t even realize they have. 

Through my coaching, writing, presentations and workshops, I help people explore their pasts so they can create their futures.

13. Christa speaks directly to what candidates want to know — is remote work an option?

Christa, senior HR coordinator at Twitter, stands out because she:

• Gives a glimpse of Twitter’s culture by sharing company-specific terminology such as “Tweep” and “joining the flock.”
• Keeps the focus on her mission-oriented candidates who want to “have a say in what the future of Twitter looks like and make an impact on the conversation of tomorrow.”
• Speaks to what’s top of mind for many these days: the option to work from anywhere.

Lines we love:

Being a Tweep means a lot of things. It means having a say in what the future of Twitter looks like and how to get there. It means finding out who you are and what you have to offer the world.

You can work where you’re at your most creative and productive, wherever in the world that may be. Flexibility makes all things possible!

14. Jennifer makes herself available and credible

Jennifer, an executive recruiter at Insight Resource Group, stands out because she:

• Opens and closes with her call to action — pick up the phone. This doubling down sends the message that she really does want to speak with you.
• Appeals to the pain point of hiring managers: weeding through paperwork from the unqualified
• Shows credibility by sharing that her placements stay in roles for 7+ years on average.

Lines we love:

Want to see what a transparent real-time recruitment process looks like? Let’s talk.

Don’t waste your time weeding through unqualified paperwork.

14 tips for the perfect LinkedIn Profile summary

The summaries above have both great substance and great style. Substance is the “what to say” and comes from the topics you cover. Style is the “how to say it” and comes from the tone and format of your words. There’s no one right way to tackle either, but our examples reveal best practices.

What to say

Below are eight of the most common topics covered in great LinkedIn Profile summaries. You don’t need to cover them all, but address at least a few to ensure you have enough substance.

If you’re stuck, use the prompts to get your juices flowing. You’ll be surprised at how easy it can be to start once you jot down some rough answers.

1. Describe what makes you tick

Passion is the heart of some of the best summaries. Opening up about what you love to do adds context to your career. Think about what excites you most professionally — what drives you besides your paycheck? This is an especially good angle if you’re younger and don’t have much work experience.

For inspiration, ask yourself:

• Have you ever become so engaged in what you’re doing at work that you lose track of time? What work activity(ies) bring that on?
• What’s something you do for fun that uses the same or similar skills you use at work?
• Is there any work task(s) you’d do even if you didn’t get paid for it?
• When you wake up in the morning, what work duties do you look forward to the most?

2. Explain your present role

Put your job title aside and describe what you do in simplest terms. Sharing the problems you solve, for whom, and how is a great way to demonstrate your skills, industry knowledge, and/or work style.

For inspiration, ask yourself:

• Who are you helping when you do your job?
• What’s their main problem, and how do you help solve it?
• What’s the impact of you doing your job well vs. not as well?
• If you didn’t do your job, what would happen?

3. Frame your past

You have the freedom to call out what’s important in your job history and to gloss over what’s not. If you’ve made career pivots or have held seemingly unrelated roles, connect the dots so they make sense. Better yet, frame the discord as an advantage and explain why it sets you apart.

For inspiration, ask yourself:

• In what way(s) do your past career choices make sense? In what way(s) do they appear to not make sense? Are there any patterns?
• What was missing from your previous job(s) that you enjoy now?
• How do you use your undergraduate studies in your work life?

4. Highlight your successes

Cite the biggest takeaway from your experience section. Look across roles and combine accomplishments if you can. This is especially applicable if you’re in mid- to late-stage career.

For inspiration, ask yourself:

• The greatest compliment I ever got at work was . . .
• I’m best known for ___ (hard skill) amongst my coworkers.
• I’m the go-to person for all things ___ on my team.
• I’ve made X (e.g., number of hires, $ in sales, $ value in acquisitions) in the past X years.
• I received X recognition/award/honor for doing Y.

5. Reveal your character

Choose stories and words that show who you are as a person, not just a professional. Great summaries hint at traits such as gratitude, humility, and humor. Authenticity is key, so be honest with yourself. Think of the one trait you’re most known for and weave it in.

For inspiration, ask yourself:

• I’m best known for ___ (soft skill) amongst my coworkers.
• My friends would describe me as X, Y, and Z.
• You wouldn’t be able to detect that I’m __ in an interview, but if we worked together on a project for three months, it’d be clear.
• What’s your most unique quality?
• Is there anything your friends, family, or coworkers tease you about that you’re secretly proud of?

6. Show life outside of work

Round out your identity by sharing a hobby, interest, or volunteer role. Relate your outside passions to your work if you can. If you share a personal story, be sure it serves to reinforce your professional strengths.

For inspiration, ask yourself:

• What do you do in your spare time? Why do you love it?
• Is there anything you do for pleasure that makes you better at your job? Or give you a different perspective on it?
• Is there anything you do for fun that you don’t excel at but keep doing anyway? Why?
• To what extent is being a parent, grandparent, or a pet owner a part of your identity?

7. Tell stories

Stories make you memorable. Leading with “When I was 11 years old . . .” or “My former boss sat me down one day . . .” to reveal why you love coding has more punch than just stating, “I’m passionate about coding.”

8. Ask for what you want

Think about what you want your audience to do after reading your summary. An invitation to connect is a great way to end, but depending on your goal, you may ask for something else. Be specific and you’ll be more likely to get what you want.

How to say it 

The format and tone of your LinkedIn Profile summary matters just as much as the ideas in it. Once you have your core content, follow these tips to embellish and refine.

9. Add rich media

Sometimes it’s easier to explain your impact or achievement using an image, video, or an article — don’t be afraid to add media to your profile and tee it up in your summary.

10. Make your first sentence count

Every word matters in your summary, but your first words really matter. If you don’t hook your audience right away, you’ll lose them. This means no “Hi, I’m Jane Smith and I’m glad to meet you” and no “Thanks for visiting!” Don’t waste precious characters on filler — cut right to the good stuff to pull your audience in.

11. Pump the keywords

To improve your search rank on LinkedIn and Google, include keywords that highlight your top skills. Listing “Specialties” at the end of your summary is one way to pack them in. Which words? Job descriptions and other relevant profiles are great keyword sources.

12. Cut the jargon

Avoid overused words that have lost meaning, like “strategic,” “motivated,” and “creative.” Tap a thesaurus for alternatives, or better yet, show you have those traits with an example or quick story. At a minimum, cross-check your summary with the most overused buzzwords on LinkedIn Profiles.

Too many profiles read like: “Strategic, results-oriented professional with proven track record of delivering results and a demonstrated history working in the XYZ industry.” What does that even mean?

13. Write how you speak

Think about how you would speak to new contact at a conference and write that way. Read your summary out loud so you can check your voice. If you wouldn’t say it, don’t write it. That also means using the first-person — “I have 20 years of experience,” not “Jane Smith has 20 years of experience.” Lay off the special characters and emojis too.

14. Create white space

People will skim your summary, so help by breaking up the text. Steer clear of long paragraphs. Don’t use a five-syllable word when a one-syllable word is just as good. Use bullet points or numbered lists, but make sure they flow — lists aren’t an excuse for sloppy thinking.

Whatever you do, write something in your LinkedIn Profile summary section. It’s a strategic piece of content, so don’t miss the opportunity to have it work for you.