Most LinkedIn About sections are either completely blank or a copy-paste of the CV summary. Neither works.
At senior level, your About section is the one place on your entire profile where you can speak directly — in your own voice — to the person you want to have a conversation with. Every other section is structured data. This one is yours.
If you’re a senior professional or executive in your 40s or 50s, here’s exactly how to write a LinkedIn About section that makes recruiters reach out.
Why Your About Section Matters More Than You Think
LinkedIn’s search algorithm weighs keywords across your entire profile — and the About section carries significant weight. A well-written About section that includes the right terms improves your chances of appearing in recruiter searches.
But beyond the algorithm, there’s the human moment: a recruiter or hiring manager lands on your profile, skims your headline, and then reads your About section to decide whether to reach out. This is where you either earn the conversation or lose it.
What Recruiters Are Actually Looking For
When an executive recruiter reads your About section, they’re trying to answer three questions:
- What kind of leader is this person?
- What outcomes have they driven?
- Are they right for the role I’m filling?
Your About section should answer all three — quickly, clearly, and specifically.
The Structure That Works for Senior Professionals
Opening line — your positioning statement
Don’t start with “I am a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience.” That’s what everyone writes.
Start with what you do and who you do it for:
“I help financial services firms navigate regulatory change without losing commercial momentum.”
“I build and scale B2B sales teams across Asia-Pacific — typically from first hire to $30M+ ARR.”
One sentence. Specific. Memorable.
The body — your evidence
Three to five sentences that back your opening with real outcomes. Scope, scale, and numbers.
What have you built? What have you turned around? What did you grow, fix, or lead?
Be specific. “Led a team” means nothing. “Built a 45-person product team across three markets and shipped four major platform releases in 18 months” means something.
Your differentiator
One or two sentences on what makes you distinctly you. Your methodology, your market specialism, the type of problem you’re wired to solve.
“I’m particularly effective in post-merger environments — where two organisations need to become one without losing the people who made both worth acquiring.”
The close — what you’re open to
Tell people what you want. Directly.
“Currently open to CFO and Group Finance Director conversations in Singapore, Hong Kong, and remotely across Southeast Asia.”
Recruiters appreciate clarity. Don’t make them guess what you’re looking for.
LinkedIn About Section Examples for Executives
Technology Leader (CTO / VP Engineering):
I build engineering organisations that ship. In the last decade I’ve led product and technology teams across Singapore, Sydney, and London — scaling from 10-person startups to 300-person enterprise divisions. Most recently VP Engineering at a Series C SaaS company where we went from 4 engineers to 60 and tripled release velocity. I care about the intersection of technical rigour and commercial speed — and I’m known for being the person who bridges the two. Currently exploring CTO and VP Engineering roles in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
HR / People Leader (CHRO / People Director):
I build people functions that make businesses genuinely better to work in — and measurably more effective as a result. Over 18 years in senior HR across retail, tech, and financial services, I’ve led workforce transformations, executive team redesigns, and three full HR function builds from scratch. I specialise in high-growth and post-merger environments where culture is either a competitive advantage or a problem waiting to happen. Open to CHRO and People Director conversations across Asia-Pacific.
Commercial Leader (CCO / VP Marketing):
I turn marketing budgets into revenue. After 15 years leading commercial functions across consumer and B2B, I’ve built brands from scratch, relaunched legacy ones, and led go-to-market for two successful product launches that generated $40M in first-year revenue. My strength is in connecting brand strategy to pipeline — and making sure the two aren’t having separate conversations. Looking for CCO, CMO, and VP Marketing roles where the commercial challenge is real.
Practical Tips for Writing Yours
- Write in first person. Always. It’s a personal profile, not a press release.
- Use the first two lines wisely. LinkedIn collapses everything behind “see more” — make the opening count.
- Include keywords naturally. Think about the terms a recruiter would search to find someone like you: your function, your industry, your geography, your level.
- Keep it between 150–300 words. Long enough to be credible. Short enough to be read.
- Update it every 6 months. Your positioning evolves. Your About section should too.
What to Avoid
- Starting with “I am a passionate and results-driven…” — delete immediately.
- Writing in third person — it reads like a press release.
- Leaving it blank — this is the single biggest missed opportunity on most senior profiles.
- Copying your CV summary word for word — the About section should sound like you talking, not like a document.
Your LinkedIn Profile Is Not a Passive Strategy
A strong About section makes you more discoverable and more compelling when someone lands on your profile. But discovery is only one part of a job search.
The executives who land roles fastest are the ones who combine a compelling profile with a proactive outreach strategy — not the ones who post and wait.
Find out where your job search strategy stands right now. Take the free diagnostic at talentfb.net/score and get a real read on what’s working and what’s holding you back.
