LinkedIn headlines are like the cover letter of your profile, except worse, because instead of a few paragraphs, all you get is 120 characters. As a result, many of us just use that space to list our job title or career objective, which is a wasted opportunity.
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The trick, according to Michelle Evans at Brazen Careerist, is to use your headline to express your creativity, not just describe what you’re doing or what you’d like to do.
Using her excellent advice, ask yourself what you want your headline to convey. Is it:
1. I am an expert at X.
Evans provides a few examples of this, including:
“Personal Chef specializing in gluten-free diets. Winner Seattle Personal Chef of the Year 2012.”
The goal with this kind of headline is to say what you do, and then provide backup to prove that you’re the best of the best. You can do that with awards, as above, or with stats, etc.
2. I can solve your problem.
This is especially big for sales and marketing types, but any career that focuses around provide solutions to tricky issues can use this headline style well.
Evans’ example:
“Need capital? Banker for early-stage technology growth companies. Clients include XYZ and ABC.”
3. I’m creative.
Evans calls this one “creative cat,” and says that there’s no real formula involved. This is a good choice for writers, advertising execs, and entrepreneurs.
It’s also where you’ll find the most amazing example of the bunch:
“Former overweight food lover turned health nut coaching fellow foodies in the joys of the Paleo diet (YUM-O)”
Wouldn’t you hire that person in a heartbeat?
You can find more LinkedIn headline tips (and examples) in Evans’ column.
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