Your LinkedIn headline is your first impression to recruiters online. With only 120 available characters, you need to strategically draft your headline if you want to effectively direct recruiters to your page. No pressure, right?

Many job seekers on LinkedIn have the tendency to leave their headlines as their current role and current employer. Now, this isn’t a bad thing. However, if you’re looking for a job, recruiters will be more likely to find your profile if you utilize those 120 characters. Keep reading and we’ll show you how to do exactly that.

What is a LinkedIn headline?

If you’re new to LinkedIn, you may be scratching your head at what I’m referring to. Well, your headline is the text that appears directly below your name on your profile. It is also oftentimes how recruiters may find your account.

While every recruiter has their own preferred methods, one of the methods used is to search for the job title of the role they need to fill. If your headline aligns with that role, they’ll eventually come to your profile.

How to determine what roles to place

As you can see from the provided example, I’ve included more than one title in my profile. I’ve also included the type of work I focus on. Even when recruiters are looking for someone with editorial experience, my headline will help guide them to my profile.

I chose this algorithm because it is accurate to my experience and will guide professionals to my account needing either role. A key factor to keep in mind is that each of these chosen “titles” is related to one another. They aren’t within vastly different industries or require different skill sets. Aligning your profile, much like your resume, to certain roles and industries will help you have a higher success rate in your job search.

What if I’m not looking for work?

If you aren’t actively looking for recruiters to contact you, slight adjustments should be made. Because your LinkedIn is most likely being used more so as a networking platform or as a means to develop your credibility in your field, you can worry less about optimizing your account based on what recruiters need.

We recommend including your current title and your industry, similar to our original recommendation. However, you can also feel free to put a bit more of your personality in your headline. For example, are you working within information technology? Do you specialize in a certain software or function? Include something along those lines in your headline. Make it your own and make it original.

Hopefully, these tips provide more guidance on how to develop your LinkedIn headline. While this is a strong start towards strengthening your profile, don’t forget to complete the rest of it as well. For more tips, check out this article or purchase BrandResumes’ LinkedIn development to really ensure your online presence is the best it can be. Good luck!