How to Write a LinkedIn Headline Recruiters Find and Want to Click
Your headline is what people see before they click your name. Three formulas, examples by field, and what not to write.
Search LinkedIn for your job title and look at the results. You see a photo, a name and one line under the name. That line is the headline, and it's the only thing that decides whether someone clicks your profile or scrolls past. If your headline still says "Marketing Executive at ABC Company," you're leaving the most valuable space on your profile empty.
What a LinkedIn headline is and how it works
The headline is the short text under your name. It appears in search results, comments, connection requests and everywhere your name shows up. It does two jobs at once:
- Getting found: recruiters search with job titles and skills, and the words in your headline help your profile match those searches.
- Getting clicked: once you're found, people read the headline to decide whether you're worth a look.
Three headline formulas
Formula 1: Title + expertise
For people in work who want recruiters to see their strengths immediately.
- Performance Marketing Specialist | Meta Ads, Google Ads, Conversion Tracking
- Data Analyst | SQL, Power BI | Retail customer analytics
Formula 2: Title + the result you help create
For people who want to state the value they bring to an organisation.
- HR Business Partner | Helping teams grow fast without losing top talent
- Accountant | On-time closes, documentation that's easy to audit
Formula 3: The goal you're pursuing
For job seekers, new graduates and career switchers. It shows both your foundation and your direction.
- Accounting graduate | Seeking Financial Analyst roles | Excel, Power BI
- English teacher moving into Instructional Design | Online course design
Use the language recruiters search in
Many Thai professionals wonder whether to write their headline in Thai or English. The answer depends on which words the people you want to reach search with. Office job titles in Thailand are often advertised in English, so include at least one English job title. The descriptive part can mix in Thai if your targets are Thai companies.
How to find the right words: open five job ads you'd like to get, note the titles and skills that repeat most, and use those words.
Before and after examples
- Before: Sales at XYZ Company After: B2B Sales Executive | Software solutions for factories | Managing enterprise accounts from quote to renewal
- Before: Open to work After: Customer Success | 5 years in SaaS | Seeking a Team Lead role in Bangkok
- Before: Student at University After: Final-year statistics student | Python, SQL | Seeking Data Analyst internship or full-time role
Notice that each after version includes a title people search for, the context of the work and a direction, so readers know right away what to contact you about.
What not to put in your headline
- Empty words: "Passionate," "Hardworking," "Looking for opportunities" don't help you get found and say nothing.
- Titles nobody searches: unusual internal titles such as "Growth Ninja" should be paired with a standard title people know.
- Every skill you have: a headline that lists ten skills is hard to read and looks unfocused.
- Claims your profile doesn't support: if your headline says Power BI expert but your experience never mentions it, readers won't believe it.
A good headline answers one question in a few seconds: who you are and how you can help.
Fix your headline today
- Pick the formula that fits your situation: employed or job hunting.
- Find the core search terms from five job ads.
- Draft three versions and read them aloud to see which is clearest.
- Check that your About and Experience sections back up every word in the headline.
- Revisit your headline whenever you change jobs or goals.
To align the rest of your profile, read optimising your LinkedIn profile for recruiters and building a personal brand on LinkedIn, or ask the AI Career Assistant to suggest several headline versions based on your real experience.