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Your LinkedIn About is more than just a summary of your experience—it’s a powerful personal branding tool. It’s often your first impression, your opportunity to grow and nurture your network, and likely the most-read version of your bio. Getting it right is crucial to your career success.
Your LinkedIn About Is A Powerful Personal Branding Asset
Despite its importance, many professionals either neglect this section entirely or fall into common traps that diminish its impact. A weak LinkedIn About can mean missed opportunities, lost connections, and an unmemorable online presence—all things you want to avoid. In this previous article, I shared the seven biggest mistakes people make when crafting their LinkedIn About. Now, let’s go a step further. How do you fix those mistakes? In this follow-up, I’ll show you how to craft an About that truly reflects your brand, engages your audience, and leaves a lasting impression.
1. Skipping the About Altogether
Some people simply don’t fill in their About. Maybe they didn’t realize its importance, or they weren’t sure what to write. But this is a missed opportunity. A blank About section makes your profile feel incomplete. When someone visits your page, they only see your headline, job title, and work history—but no personality, no story, no context. This reduces your chances of standing out.
When people want to learn about you, they check your LinkedIn profile. Without an About, your profile is just a list of facts, not a compelling introduction to who you are. How to Fix It:
Write something. Even a simple paragraph introducing yourself, your expertise, and what excites you about your work is better than nothing.
- Avoid repeating what’s in your Headline or Experience section.
- Make it personal. Give people a reason to want to connect with you.
- Focus on what makes you unique.
2. Being Redundant
A common mistake is kicking off the About section with a copy-and-paste of your Headline. It’s repetitive and a wasted opportunity. Your headline already caught their attention and confirmed who you are. Now, they want more. How to fix it:
Start with something engaging—a bold statement, an insight, or a quick story.
- What’s your biggest belief about your industry?
- What’s a lesson you learned that shaped your career?
- What’s something unexpected about you?
The first two lines of your About determine whether people keep reading or leave your profile. Make them riveting.
3. Making Your About a Mini Resume
LinkedIn once called the About section “Summary,” which led many people to treat it like a resume synopsis. But LinkedIn now refers to it as your About for a reason. It should be a story about you, not just a list of jobs. Your Experience section already covers your job titles and responsibilities. If your About just repeats that, you’re not adding anything new. How to fix it:
Make your About narrative-driven—tell the story of your career:
- What inspired you to enter your field?
- What do you love most about what you do?
- What impact have you made?
A compelling About humanizes your career path and helps readers understand not just what you do, but why it matters, and the value you create when you do it.
4. Using Trite Business Jargon
Nothing screams unoriginal like a LinkedIn profile filled with corporate buzzwords.
- Results-driven professional with a proven track record of success.
- Passionate leader leveraging synergies to drive innovation.
- Dynamic and motivated self-starter.
Everyone says these things. They don’t make you stand out. Worse, they make your profile forgettable because they lack personality. How to fix it:
Write how you speak. Use natural, conversational language that reflects your personality. Instead of vague statements, give specific examples that show your expertise.
Replace “Proven track record of success in marketing” with “I’ve helped brands grow from zero to 100,000+ followers and increased conversion rates by 40% through strategic campaigns.”
Concrete examples are far more compelling than banal buzzwords.
5. Being Me-Too Instead of Just Me
If your About could describe others in your industry, it’s too generic. Your About should be unique to you. If I read it and can’t tell what makes you special, you’ve lost an opportunity to make an impression. How to fix it:
Identify your unique value proposition. If you haven’t done work discovering your brand, focus some attention on describing your unique promise of value. Ask yourself:
- What sets me apart from others in my field?
- What’s a skill, experience, or perspective that only I bring?
- What’s a surprising fact about my career journey?
The more specific and personal you are, the more memorable your About will be.
6. Not Sharing Anything Personal
People connect with people, not job titles. If your About is purely professional, you’re missing an opportunity to build real connections. Without a personal touch, your profile feels cold and transactional—and people are less likely to engage. How to fix it:
Share something authentic about yourself:
- A career-defining moment
- A passion or cause you care about
- A hobby that influences your work
For example: When I’m not leading one-of-a-kind product launches, you’ll probably find me exploring new coffee shops, testing out the latest productivity apps, or planning my next hiking trip.
Small personal details make you more relatable and likable.
7. Ending the Conversation
Your LinkedIn About shouldn’t just inform—it should intrigue. If someone reads it and does nothing afterward, you’ve missed the mark. How to fix it:
End with a clear call to action:
- Looking for a results-driven marketing strategist? Let’s connect.
- Need a brand strategy that stands out? Check out this article I wrote…
- Let’s talk about how storytelling can elevate your brand. Join my storytelling community here.
When you give people a next step, you keep the conversation going.
Make Your LinkedIn About Work for You
Your LinkedIn About is not only one of the most important sections of your LinkedIn profile, it’s also one of the most powerful tools to support your career advancement. Resolve these mistakes by applying these fixes, to craft an About that’s engaging, memorable, and uniquely yours.
Take a fresh look at your About today—because when done right, it can open doors you never expected.
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and co-creator of BrandBoost– a virtual, video-fueled course to help you grow your self-awareness, uncover your personal brand, and amp up your career success.