Do you know how fast recruiters decide on your LinkedIn profile?
I evaluate executive candidates daily. As a headhunter in Thailand for more than 20 years, I look at more LinkedIn and resume profiles than most people.
Before I even pick up the phone, I’ve already made a decision on most profiles.
You are being judged before anyone calls you. Every day, recruiters look at your LinkedIn and decide in seconds whether you are worth a conversation.
No banner? Pass.
Blurry or no photo? Pass.
Headline that only shows your title and company? Pass.
No About section? I don’t know who you are—and I’m not going to guess. Pass.
I’m not being harsh. I’m being honest.
I spend only seconds on your banner, photo, and headline. Seconds. If all three pass the test, I scroll down to your About section. But if they don’t confirm your industry, business, and function, I’m already on to the next profile.
Your About section might be brilliant, but I will never see it if the top of your profile looks like you threw it together in two minutes.
And talking about the About section. I only see the first two/three lines before LinkedIn hides the rest behind “…more.” I don’t click it.
I don’t have time.
Those two/three lines need to reinforce your headline, i.e. your function, your industry, and your specialty.
If the first two lines are vague or generic, I assume the rest is too.
I move on, and you are history, even if you could be the next Einstein.
Your LinkedIn profile is the first thing recruiters see
Trust me, it’s not your resume but your LinkedIn profile that is the first thing recruiters and hiring managers see.
If it looks incomplete, we assume you don’t care about your professional image. And if you don’t care, why should we?
A banner shows you’ve put thought into your personal brand.
A professional headshot signals that you take your career seriously.
A strong headline tells me what you actually do and why it matters.
A brilliant About tells us you know how to brand yourself and how recruiters work.
These are not optional extras. They are the bare minimum.
How to write a perfect About
The About section is where candidates move from looking qualified to sounding qualified. Here’s why it’s essential:
- It’s your pitch, not a resume. The headline gets attention. The About section closes the deal. It tells me who you are, what you’ve achieved, and why I should care in your own words.
- It shows communication skills. If you cannot write a compelling 2-3 paragraph summary of yourself, how will you communicate with clients, boards, or teams? I’m evaluating your writing without even realizing it.
- It answers “Why this person?” Your job titles tell me what you did. Your About tells me how you think, what drives you, and what makes you different from 50 other candidates with similar experience.
- Empty = lazy. When I see a blank About section on an executive profile, I assume one of two things: you don’t care, or you don’t know how to articulate your value. Whatever, neither is good.
If you’re not willing to invest in these basics, I have a radical suggestion: delete your LinkedIn profile entirely.
Better to not be on LinkedIn than to be there with a lousy, incomplete profile that actively hurts your chances.
I’ve seen talented candidates get passed over because their profile looked like an afterthought. Meanwhile, less qualified people land interviews because they presented themselves well.
Your profile is your first impression. Make it count, or don’t show up at all.
What you must do next
It’s not just recruiters looking at your profile. Your customers check you out. Your suppliers do. Your boss. Your colleagues. Head office. Before they meet you, they look you up on LinkedIn.
Your banner, photo, headline, and About section are not nice-to-haves. They are must-do. Now.
Stop treating your LinkedIn profile as an afterthought. Start treating it as what it is: your professional reputation in digital form.
