Written by: Ruth V. Walker, PhD 

Published July 5, 2024

Did you know that 82% of recruiters say the about section of your LinkedIn profile plays an important role in forming their first impression of a candidate (LinkedIn Talent Solutions, 2022)? LinkedIn profiles with complete about summaries are also approximately 27% more likely to be discovered by recruiters during searches. Additionally, a detailed about summary can lead to 3.5 times more profile views, and including specific skills and experiences can increase your profile views by up to 13 times (LinkedIn, 2021).

What is the Purpose of a LinkedIn About Summary?

Like the professional summary on your resume, your LinkedIn about summary should provide a potential employer or recruiter with an "elevator pitch" that summarizes your career achievements and goals. However, unlike a resume, your LinkedIn about summary should also capture the reader's attention by making it more personal.

AI-Generated Versus Personalized About Summaries

Let's look at an example About Summary for an undergraduate student majoring in psychology, who is interested in becoming a recreational therapist. This summary was written by ChatGPT.

Although this example is well-written and grammatically correct, it doesn’t give a genuine sense of who the student is or what they have achieved. When writing an About Summary you want to avoid formal language that you wouldn’t use in everyday conversation. Phrases like "academic journey" and "particularly drawn to" can sound impersonal and are clear indicators you used AI to write your summary. Instead, you want to write using a similar tone to the one you use when speaking with a colleague. More professional than how you might talk to a roommate, but less professional than your resume summary. If you need more incentive, Career Builder (2021) researchers found that About Summaries written in a professional tone yet personalized to reflect the individual's unique experiences and aspirations are 42% more likely to be read in full by recruiters (CareerBuilder, 2021).

If possible, you also want to incorporate personal experiences that highlight your journey and motivations. Personal stories or anecdotes related to career goals and professional experiences can make profiles 29% more memorable (Forbes, 2020). The following is an example of an About Summary that uses a personal anecdote to explain their interest in the field of industrial-organizational psychology.  

• "Like most of my peers in psychology, I got into the field because I wanted to help people. However, I had a fairly narrow understanding of what that looked like. I thought I needed to go to graduate school and become a counselor in order to make a positive impact on people's lives. When I ended up taking Dr. Brian O'Leary's Industrial-Organizational Psychology course for no other reason other than it was an advanced elective and it aligned with my availability, I looked forward to the dad jokes he is known for and moving another 3 credits closer to graduation. Imagine my surprise when he demonstrated the power of psychology in the workplace from the very beginning. He told us we had to create an elaborate paper star. He showed us a picture of what it should look like but provided no written instructions. Any attempts to ask for clarification were met with, "You have all the tools you need." After 15 minutes of struggling and reconsidering the life choices that led me to this moment, he facilitated an engaging discussion about leadership and training. Until that moment, I did not realize how psychological principles play an integral role in developing good leadership and training practices. I also hadn't considered how ensuring evidenced-based practices are used in the workplace can have such a dramatic impact on people's daily lives."

Recruiter Sam Struan says a good About Summary contains these four elements: 

1. A description of what you do and your years of experience.

   • Example: I'm an undergraduate psychology student on the Dean's List with three years of customer service experience and a completed practicum placement working with neurodiverse children. I am pursuing a career as a school psychologist so I can help support and advocate for students' mental and emotional well-being.

2. A description of what you are good at.

   • Example: I have developed communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills through my customer service roles and practicum experience. In fact, my practicum supervisor noted how well I made connections with the children I worked with and how I was able to quickly adapt to their changing needs.

3. Evidence to support that you are good at those things (read: quantifiable metrics).

   • Example: Some favorite career moments include:

     • Achieving Dean’s List recognition for academic excellence throughout my undergraduate studies.

     • Gaining valuable hands-on experience during my practicum, where I helped developed and implemented individualized support plans for two neurodiverse children.

     • Being able to witness a child go from being afraid of the water to looking forward to swim time when I worked with them. 

4. End with a call to action, which encourages the reader to engage with you, such as inviting them to connect, discuss opportunities, or collaborate on projects. 

   • Example: I welcome the opportunity to connect with professionals in school psychology and education to exchange ideas and learn more about best practices for supporting students' mental health. 

Let's look at a revised version of the ChatGPT generated About Summary for a student interested in becoming a recreational therapist...

This revised About Summary includes a description of what they do, quantifiable metrics to support their success in their past endeavors (e.g., high GPA, impact of working with a conservancy), and a call to action. It is also written in a more personable tone. It will be important for this student to continue updating it as they gain more relevant experiences and accomplishments, but this summary is more relatable and engaging than the ChatGPT version. Meaning, it will be more likely to catch and keep the attention of a hiring manager. 

Are there good ways to use ChatGPT to help me write my LinkedIn About Summary? 

Yes! Let's go over some sample prompts you can use.

1. “What should I include in my LinkedIn professional summary if I am targeting [insert job title here] roles in [insert industry type here]?” 

2. “Please review my current LinkedIn About Summary and provide suggestions on how I can make it more compelling to hiring managers. Please keep in mind that I want to maintain a more approachable tone, while incorporating in quantifiable metrics and avoiding overused buzzwords. Here is my current summary: [Insert current About Summary]."

3. "Please edit my LinkedIn About Summary for grammar and flow: [Insert current About Summary]."

4. "Help me incorporate specific achievements and metrics into my About Summary: [Insert current About Summary and achievements]."

5. "Can you make my LinkedIn About Summary sound more personal and less formal? Here is my current summary: [Insert current About Summary]."

6. "Can you craft a compelling LinkedIn About Summary that highlights my current role as an undergraduate student majoring in X and my X number of years of experience in the ABC field? Showcase my career achievements of [insert quantifiable metrics and achievements] and highlight my growing skillset [insert skills here]. Conclude by noting my goal of becoming [insert target career] and my desire to build my professional network in the field of [insert field here]. Ensure the tone is professional yet approachable."

The more specific and detailed information you provide to ChatGPT—such as quantifiable metrics, personal anecdotes, and favorite career moments—the better and more tailored the content it generates will be. 

Conclusion

To learn more, see Part 2 of my LinkedIn Development Workshop Series!