How to create the LinkedIn headline that will get you noticed

Jennifer Fabiano

Like your resume, crafting the perfect LinkedIn profile is a constant work in progress. There’s one bit that you might not have even known you could, or should, change: your LinkedIn headline.  Ladders spoke with Biron Clark, who was named one of the Top Voices in Job Search & Careers in 2019 by LinkedIn, to find out exactly what to include (and what not to include) to make your LinkedIn headline stand out amongst the crowd.

What is a LinkedIn headline?

Let’s start with the basics. You might not even know what a LinkedIn headline is, but that’s okay. Your LinkedIn headline is the text that appears under your name on your profile page. This space gives you 120 characters to describe to the LinkedIn world who you are and what you do.

Why is your LinkedIn headline important?

Many professionals are unaware that they can even change their LinkedIn headline because the platform automatically populates that field with your job title. Even if you did know about it, did you know that you actually should change this field to include important key elements?

Why? Because this 120 character space is actually some of the most prime real estate on your LinkedIn profile.

First of all, your headline is one of the few things that recruiters and hiring managers (or anyone on LinkedIn for that matter) can see before they click your profile. If you comment on a post, share a post, or apply for a job through LinkedIn, your headline will be the first description that person reads of you. Never forget, first impressions can make or break your job search.

Additionally, when a recruiter performs a search looking for a specific role in a specific area, LinkedIn will deliver them a list of 10 people per page. On that page, the recruiter will see your photo, location, as well as a few connections- in addition to your headline. 

As the only description of who you are, your headline is the main deciding factor on whether or not someone decides to visit your profile.

“Half the battle is just getting clicked and then after that they obviously see a lot more information,” Clark said. “Just getting clicked you have very little to make your case and grab attention and your LinkedIn headline is one of those pieces.”

Clark advises giving the headline the time and attention that it deserves to work on getting it right. Though the headline might only be 10 words, Clark emphasizes that it’s worth spending at least 20 to 30 minutes crafting the perfect description.

According to Clark, there’s  a saying in online marketing that you should spend at least 50% of your time on the headline when writing an article.

“The article might be 1,000 words, and the headline might only be nine words, but you should spend at least 50% on just that headline because that’s what will determine if people click and keep reading,” Clark said. “Don’t let the low word count fool you into thinking that it’s something to only spend 10 seconds on. That would be a big mistake.”

What do you put in a LinkedIn headline? Read more to find out + lots more tips + the complete The Ladders article