LinkedIn headlines & summaries
This section of LinkedIn appears directly below your name and photo, and should include your career goals and industry keywords.
What is the HEADLINE?
According to Jobscan (2024), listing at least 5 skills makes you this many times more likely to receive recruiter messages.
What is 33 TIMES?
According to SHRM (2023), consistent online engagement helps build your reputation as this type of professional.
What is a KNOWLEDGEABLE and ACTIVE member of your industry community?
These three popular drag-and-drop website platforms require little to no coding and are ideal for most students.
What are WIX, SQUARESPACE, and WEEBLY?
Each work sample in your portfolio should include the project title, your role, the tools used, and this type of evidence — numbers, results, or measurable impact.
What are QUANTIFIABLE OUTCOMES (or measurable results)?
LinkedIn recommends keeping the headline section under this many characters.
What is 220 CHARACTERS?
This LinkedIn feature allows your classmates, instructors, or supervisors to publicly validate your listed skills.
What are ENDORSEMENTS (or Recommendations)?
When sending a LinkedIn connection request, you should always include this to show professionalism and intention.
What is a PERSONALIZED NOTE (or personal message)?
This platform, used heavily by developers and IT students, hosts code repositories and serves as a portfolio for technical work.
What is GITHUB PAGES?
This page of your personal website gives visitors a downloadable version of a key career document.
What is the RESUME PAGE (or resume download)?
This writing style — not third person — is recommended for your LinkedIn About/Summary section.
What is FIRST PERSON?
When listing skills on LinkedIn, you should align them with these documents to ensure relevance and searchability.
What are JOB DESCRIPTIONS (that you are targeting)?
Instead of just scrolling, these types of posts — sharing insights, celebrating milestones, and commenting on industry articles — demonstrate professional engagement.
What is THOUGHTFUL ENGAGEMENT (or thought leadership)?
According to The Muse (2023), first impressions on a personal website are made within this many seconds.
What is 10 SECONDS?
According to NACE (2023), digital portfolios are increasingly viewed by employers as indicators of these two qualities — one relating to self-knowledge, one relating to job readiness.
What are SELF-AWARENESS and CAREER READINESS?
According to NACE (2023), this type of skill should be included alongside technical skills in your LinkedIn summary — communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are examples.
What are SOFT SKILLS (or Transferable Skills)?
Aside from technical skills, profiles should also include this type of skill — examples include adaptability, critical thinking, and leadership.
What are TRANSFERABLE SKILLS?
LinkedIn reports (2022) that professionals who share content are this many times more likely to be viewed by recruiters.
What is 3–5 TIMES more likely?
These four design essentials apply to ANY personal website, regardless of field: a homepage intro, clear navigation, this technical requirement, and consistent professional branding.
What is MOBILE RESPONSIVENESS (and fast loading times)?
This is how often you should review, update, and refresh your portfolio — it is tied to a specific season cycle.
What is QUARTERLY?
Your LinkedIn About section should include this three-part combination: your background, your professional accomplishments, and this forward-looking element that tells recruiters what you are seeking.
What are your CAREER GOALS (or types of roles you are targeting)?
This action, done regularly and involving classmates or supervisors, builds social proof and boosts credibility on your LinkedIn profile — it is more powerful than a self-claimed skill.
What is requesting RECOMMENDATIONS (or asking for endorsements)?
This is the type of online behavior professionals should AVOID, even in comment sections, because it can damage their reputation — examples include sarcasm, venting, and controversial opinions.
What is UNPROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT (or online arguments / negative posts)?
This platform, often used by graphic designers and visual artists, is part of Adobe's Creative Cloud suite and integrates directly with Photoshop and Illustrator projects.
What is ADOBE PORTFOLIO?
Jobscan (2024) found that portfolios including this — specific descriptions of achievements and results — are more likely to capture employer attention than static resumes alone.
What are QUANTIFIABLE ACHIEVEMENTS and DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS?