LinkedIn About Section Content Development Guide

Purpose of the About Section

This is not a resume summary or personality bio. The About section is a positioning narrative that:

• Connects your past to your present

• Clarifies who you are professionally right now

• Signals where you're heading next

It gives context and direction — something resumes and job titles do poorly on their own.

You have up to 2,600 characters (≈300–500 words) to anchor your story without rambling.

Core Structure: “Where You Were / Where You Are / Where You're Going”

1️⃣ Where You’ve Been

This frames your background and anchors your credibility.

Use this space to highlight:

• Foundations (education, training, industries, early roles)

• Relevant experiences or turning points

• Themes in your work (people, process, systems, service, impact)

✔ 2–4 sentences is enough. You're not writing a timeline.

Example style:

“I started my career in customer-facing roles where I learned how to problem-solve quickly and communicate with diverse teams…”

2️⃣ Where You Are Now

This centers your current strengths, focus, or identity.

Highlight:

• Professional strengths and skillsets in play

• The type of work you're doing (or most aligned to do)

• The space, function, or problems you solve today

✔ This should read like a snapshot, not a wish list.

Example style:

“Today, I support operations and workflow coordination in environments where communication, organization, and efficiency matter…”

3️⃣ Where You're Going

This creates forward momentum and tells people how to think about you.

Use this part to:

• Signal the direction you’re moving toward

• Set expectations for opportunities and positioning

• Align with roles, industries, projects, or impact areas

✔ This is crucial for job search and recruiter visibility.

Example style:

“I'm currently focused on moving into project coordination roles within healthcare or mission-driven organizations where cross-functional collaboration and execution are key.”

What NOT to Put in the About Section

❌ Resume objectives
❌ Lists of job titles or companies
❌ Personality fluff (“I love dogs and coffee”)
❌ Chronological job history
❌ Third-person executive bios (unless branding or target role demands it)
❌ Generic soft-skill statements (“I’m hardworking and a team player”)

Formatting Options That Work

You can write it as:
✔ A short narrative in paragraphs (2–3 blocks)
✔ A hybrid with short intros and bullet strengths
✔ First-person voice for most readers (unless you’re executive branding)

Rules Based on Your Principles

✔ Clarity over personality
✔ Direction over randomness
✔ Relevance over history-dumping
✔ Cohesion with job search goals
✔ Consistency with resume & headline
✔ No filler, no vagueness, no rambling

Call-Out Reminder

If someone only reads your About section, they should walk away knowing:

• What lane you’re in

• What strengths you operate from

• Where you're headed next

If it doesn't do that, it’s not done.