Introduce yourself and tell your story in your about section...
The pivotal part of your LinkedIn Profile is the summary or 'about' section as it's now known. It needs to be there, because it may be the only part of your profile visitors read aside from your headline.
Pro Tip: You'll also only gain 'All star' profile status if you complete an about section. This is more than a status symbol — complete profiles that have this, the highest ranking status, will appear more prominently (and more often) in search results.
Don't omit it: You are more than just the summary of your job experience, so tell us your story here, above everything else on your profile. Give us your elevator pitch.
Use the first four lines (330 characters or so) creatively, because that's what people will see BEFORE they trouble to click on 'See more'. You can also force a break with a new paragraph, as I've done in my example below.
A snappy summary opening can also make the difference as to whether visitors even bother to click, or read any further. If you don't grab their attention, they may simply not bother.
If they don't click to see more (people are impatient online), have they been able to work out what you do from that first sentence or two? Make sure the 'short' version encapsulates the key information about you.
Your profile about section needs to tell the reader a concise story of you.
NEW: It's also worth noting that you can now add up to five skills that will be displayed alongside your about section.
What is your core area of expertise?
What's your big interest outside of work?
When did you make a major change in your career?
Why do you specialise in that particular niche area of the market?
What useful advice do you have to offer people?
How can you solve my problems?
Who have you solved problems for before?
How can you save me money?
Show me numbers!
Who can vouch for this - who's recommended or published you?
How can I get in touch with you or find out more?
Write in the first person singular - "I". Don't use the third person "David Petherick makes you visible, legible..." - it's anachronistic and pretentious.
You are having a virtual conversation with someone one to one when you write your about section. Talk normally, and don't stuff your about section with clichés and jargon. Write naturally, as if you were speaking to a friend or new acquaintance.
Adding a call to action leading to your website enquiry page or useful resources are natural elements to include.
Remember you can also add media below the 'about' section in the 'featured' carousel: Slideshare presentations, PDF Documents, SoundCloud files, links to websites, landing pages or downloadable web resources.
Use media links to help tell your story in a professional way when you add them to your Featured section, or to your experience sections.
There's also a new feature: Add your latest or most popular LinkedIn post to this Featured section with a simple click on the update options menu. This is ideal for keeping your profile fresh and up to date, and for helping to let people know you are active on LinkedIn.
