It's been a while since you opened your LinkedIn profile, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
*Insert the tune from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" here.*
Preparation for finding a new job includes the open-to-work frame in your profile photo...
.... the "I'm ready to begin a brand-new chapter of my career" plastered all over your headline, summary, +30 posts, and various DMs.
Yet those "pesky" recruiters seem to be avoiding you like the plague.
Where are they when you need them?! And why are your profile views below 100?! Why aren't recruiters doing their job to headhunt you?!
Hold it right there, partner!
Think about what is your reason to be on LinkedIn in the first place.
As the #1 social media:
- where not only recruiters, but CEOs (ranking amongst the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Russel Branson) hang out;
- of content creators, who rise from the ashes of Rome, to spread wisdom and knowledge;
- or the birthplace of that modern legend: of the Underdog turned manager due to a hiring decision…
…what is the value your desperate cry out for a new job brings to the platform?
Zero.
LinkedIn is definitely a worthy investment for you to be active as both a professional and a candidate. Not just when you’re on the job market.
But while some may have the gift of words, you may struggle to write separate sections of your LinkedIn profile. What is more, you don't happen to have the time to hire a fancy LinkedIn writer to optimize your profile.
In this case, you can count on ChatGPT. Or Open AI's artificial intelligence chatbot that has been taking the world by storm.
Built on large language models, ChatGPT is fine-tuned by supervised and reinforcement learning techniques. Basically, you provide it with prompts - in the form of questions or requests.
The chatbot refers to an online database to spin out answers in the form of templates, poems, recipes, and lyrics.
You name it, ChatGPT can and will write it.
Is your resume good enough?
Drop your resume here or choose a file. PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.
Within this guide, you'll learn:
- the best guide to optimizing your LinkedIn profile and writing rules for the platform;
- using ChatGPT prompts to make your headline stand out in just under 220 characters;
- why storytelling should be part of your LinkedIn about section and the J.K. Rowling (“Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi”) prompt;
- reframing your LinkedIn experience using ChatGPT;
- various LinkedIn profile sections, which you can optimize with AI's help for the best results.
The linkedin playbook: platform rules on writing
Before we get into the fun bit about optimizing your LinkedIn with ChatGPT, let's set some ground rules.
Or what works - and subsequently doesn't - on this infamous platform.
LinkedIn Rule of Thumb #1: Know your audience!
Before you even consider putting your best foot forward on the platform, know what your reason for being on LinkedIn is. Or - to be more precise - who you'd like to connect with.
If you want to network with recruiters (or potential employers) - think about their mindset with a focus on what:
- impresses them;
- resonates with them;
- gives your credibility.
The quicker you know who you're talking to, the easier it'd be to set up your LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn Rule of Thumb #2: Keywords all the way!
You may have the "best" LinkedIn profile out there, but if it doesn't include at least two or three industry keywords, you have lost your chances.
Even though the likes of #sustainability and #machinelearning are all over the platform, be specific in integrating key skills for the industry in your profile.
LinkedIn Rule of Thumb #3: Stay linked in!
This platform deals in engagement - meaning the more content you like, the more it learns about you as a creator or user. As might be expected, the AI mirrors the behavior of all its users.
So you want to connect with more recruiters in data science? Start spending at least 15 minutes a day liking, commenting, sharing, or resharing content.
Pro tip
As much as people may say that content is king, it’s a 50/50 case of being so.
Actually, engagement is king on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Rule of Thumb #4: Stay up-to-date!
It has been decades since you've checked your LinkedIn profile (which you created for a university assignment, back in the early 2010s). For the past six years of your career, that profile has been gathering dust.
Newsflash - whatever happens through your career, that's worth sharing - could and should be part of a digital portfolio of your choice.
And as your digital resume - make sure that your LinkedIn profile stays relevant. Score extra brownie points by aligning it to your actual resume, when applying for jobs.
LinkedIn Rule of Thumb #5: Be authentic
Many people are on LinkedIn to show off their "dream, digital nomad lifestyle" or their awesome 401(k).
You don't have to be one of those people to succeed on the platform.
Instead, keep your professional integrity by staying true to your values and what matters to you as a professional and to your industry.
Because your experience - as little or junior as it may be - is actually what makes your journey unique.
Checklist: Basic LinkedIn psychology - sections of your profile that influence user behavior
- Power of first impressions - the almighty, possibly keyword-heavy, headline helps you stand out from the get-go.
- Social proof and credibility - in the form of recommendations and referrals; collect as many as you possibly can get.
- Stay true to yourself - make sure your profile is personalized and authentic to your professional journey.
Hints at what makes a good linkedin copy for your profile
When applying for a job, all of your copies have to be written using clear and concise language.
While figuring out your professional narrative, you'd ultimately include on both your resume and LinkedIn:
- relevant industry keywords;
- strengths and major achievements - what makes you stand out? What sort of unique value do you bring about? What sort of challenges can you solve?
- KPIs and impact via quantifiable results (numbers, metrics, and data);
- specifics, examples, and, potentially, narratives (e.g. personal stories that have helped you attain soft skills).
Pro tip
Don't forget about your profile CTA (call to action) - or what are LinkedIn users, browsing your profile, supposed to do?
Have you included SUBTLE hints that you're open to work? Would you like them to check out your portfolio?
Once again, the more you think about your audience, the easier it'll be for you to write.
While writing a resume, you have to ensure you're professional at all times (as they're often times assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (-s)), LinkedIn provides you with an entirely different visual experience.
Resumes have a pretty standard one- (to two-) page formatting with limited "real estate".
There are character limitations on LinkedIn, you have a bit more freedom to:
- experiment with emojis in key profile sections;
- play around with paragraphs that vary in length;
- include more blank spaces in between paragraphs.
Apart from building your personal brand and voice on LinkedIn, aim for making your readers' experience a more pleasant one.
Before you start optimizing your linkedin profile with the help of chatgpt, figure out…
…who you’re writing for
Now, ChatGPT may not have access to actual LinkedIn user profiles, but it could help you imagine what your target audience’s (a.k.a. recruiters) demographics; goals and motivations; challenges; preferred channels; and key messaging are like.
I'm currently in the process of optimizing my LinkedIn profile and need help figuring out the mindset of my target audience. Can you please generate a buyer persona of a [recruiter] in the [data science] industry from [Alabama] looking to hire [junior data scientists]?
By understanding the mindset and preferences of your target audience, you can optimize your LinkedIn profile and tailor your messaging to better attract the attention of recruiters like Sarah Thompson.
…relevant industry keywords
While ChatGPT’s latest version assesses data only up to 2021, it may be a good starting point to provide you with relevant industry keywords.
I'm currently creating my first LinkedIn profile. Generate a list of 20 SEO LinkedIn keywords that I should include in my profile to attract the attention of technical recruiters looking to hire senior software engineers.
These keywords cover various aspects of senior software engineering, including technical skills, methodologies, programming languages, and other relevant areas that recruiters typically look for. Remember to incorporate these keywords naturally throughout your LinkedIn profile to increase its visibility to recruiters.
Once you have your list, always double-check the keywords’ relevance within the platform by doing a simple search within posts to see who is posting what on the topic.
… your tone of voice
Perhaps you have references as to your writing style and want to maintain its consistency through your full digital presence.
Here’s how you could use ChatGPT to figure out your tone of voice via your resume:
I'm currently in the process of optimizing my LinkedIn profile. I'll provide you with my current resume as a reference for my writing style. Please analyze my resume and generate a list of 20 adjectives that best represent my tone of voice. Here’s the text you need to analyze: [paste in your full resume]
These keywords could also be integrated as soft skills through your profile, as long as they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Four+ chatgpt prompts for your linkedin headlines
LinkedIn profile headlines are actually quite similar to your resume ones, in the sense that it's a good idea to list within them:
- skills and accomplishments;
- industry keywords;
- potentially - the role you're seeking to land.
Let's start off with a simple, yet effective prompt you could use with ChatGPT.
I want you to act as a professional LinkedIn copywriter, helping me to optimize my profile. I'm in the process of applying for a [Senior Account Manager in a Creative Agency] role. I need help writing a headline that is no more than 220 characters. As for the tone of voice, I want it to be [professional, yet creative and enthusiastic]. Please refer to my key skills and accomplishments, when writing the headline. Those include [Partnerships: Boosted 400% advertisement revenue in a year; Team Management: Reduced turnover by 40% while improving employee efficiency by 85%; Budgeting: Managed $2MM digital marketing budget for advertising and digital PR campaigns]. As well, do mention some main industry keywords: [Social Media Marketing, Marketing Strategy, and Planning, and PPC campaigns].
"Results-Driven Senior Account Manager | Driving 400% Ad Revenue Growth | Inspiring Teams, Reducing Turnover by 40% | Strategic Budgeting | Expert in Social Media Marketing, Marketing Strategy & Planning, PPC Campaigns"
Here's one insider's scoop on how recruiters use LinkedIn when searching for candidates.
If they decided on doing their search via keywords, your profile is featured only with the first 70 characters of your headline.
So, make sure you are using this space wisely:
Team Management: Reduced turnover by 40% while improving employee efficiency by 85%
Budgeting: Managed $2MM digital marketing budget for advertising and digital PR campaigns]
- Experienced Content Manager | Driving 400% Ad Revenue Growth | Inspiring Teams, Reducing Turnover | Strategic Budgeting
- Content Manager | 400% Ad Revenue Growth | Team Leadership & Turnover Reduction | Strategic Budgeting Expert
These versions showcase your expertise in the three key skills mentioned in the job advert:
- Driving 400% Ad Revenue Growth highlights your success in delivering results and driving business growth.
- Inspiring Teams, Reducing Turnover emphasizes your ability to manage teams effectively and create a positive work environment.
- Strategic Budgeting demonstrates your proficiency in managing budgets for marketing and advertising campaigns.
Feel free to choose the version that best fits your preferences and professional tone. Remember to incorporate these keywords into the rest of your LinkedIn profile to provide more detailed examples and evidence of your capabilities in these areas.
Some of the best LinkedIn headlines out there embody the specific role or professional.
They are:
- concise and specific;
- conversational in tone, yet professional;
- feature advert keywords;
- highlights or your unique value proposition.
Let’s look at a prompt that could help you achieve all of those things in roughly 220 characters.
Write a compelling LinkedIn header in 220 characters for a [Software engineer] who specializes in [writing clear, concise code that is easy to maintain and troubleshoot.] Use these keywords: [Python, Linux, MySQL]. Ensure that the headline is concise and specific to my [coding] experience, while at the same time remaining both [chatty and professional] as a tone of voice.
"Passionate Software Engineer | Expert in Python, Linux & MySQL | Crafting clean, maintainable, and troubleshoot-friendly code for seamless software solutions | Let's build robust and efficient applications together! 🚀"
More to the point, if you want to make your headline a bit more of a personalized experience for all recruiters, focus on
- what problems you can solve with your current skill set (think of the main ones);
- something interesting that you enjoy doing outside of work.
I'm looking for a job as a [Software Engineer] - help me optimize my LinkedIn headline. I want you to write a headline that is under 220 characters, includes industry keywords, and is entertaining. Focus on the biggest problems I solve in my day-to-day job, those include: [improving query efficiency (by designing and fully revising the two largest MySQL databases); chatbot implementations (Developed a chatbot that helped customers to reduce costs by 240% in their customer service department); and automation (created usage graphs, saving $500,000 / year & increasing accuracy)]. Make sure you mention that in my free time, [I am a guitarist for a tribute Queen band].
"Software Engineer | Query Efficiency Guru | Chatbot Whisperer | Automation Maestro | MySQL Database Wizard | Helping Companies Save Big 💰 | Guitarist for a Rockin' Queen Tribute Band 🎸"
Now, this headline may include way too many clichés for your taste. Whatever you write with ChatGPT, always make sure to double-check that the outputs meet your standard of writing and tone of voice.
And here’s what we were able to achieve with this prompt:
Can you use fewer clichés within this headline?
"Software Engineer | Query Efficiency Architect | Chatbot Innovator | Automation Specialist | MySQL Database Expert | Empowering Companies with Cost Savings | Rockin' Guitarist for a Queen Tribute Band"
Finally, if you happen to have your resume ready to go, you could feed it into ChatGPT to produce a detailed headline.
I want you to help me write my LinkedIn profile headline. It should be less than 220 characters and sound professional with a focus on these industry keywords: [ChemCAD, Safety Standards, and Troubleshooting]. Please refer to my full resume to find the most relevant achievements for a [Senior Plant Manager] role I'm looking to apply to:
Senior Chemical Engineer | Expert in ChemCAD, Safety Standards & Troubleshooting | Pharmaceutical Industry Leader | Project Management Guru | Delivering Critical Milestones | Seeking Senior Plant Manager Role
Revamp your linkedin about section with chatgpt
It is difficult; actually, very difficult. To summarize your whole personality and career in about 2000 characters, while trying to rank within LinkedIn's algorithm.
You may have done something similar before - for your resume summary. But LinkedIn as a platform has its specifics.
This section of our guide will provide just that - a window of opportunity to write your LinkedIn About section.
Checklist: The basics of your LinkedIn About; it should be:
- Concise (between three and five paragraphs), yet descriptive;
- Show personality and creativity;
- Include full sentences, but could also list separate experience items via bullets and/or emojis;
- Integrating industry keywords for the sake of the platform's SEO;
- Avoid meaningless clichés (e.g. "passionate, dedicated, and hardworking professional").
Excellent LinkedIn About sections catch the reader's attention and set the tone of your whole profile.
An outstanding one could be a brief summary of your professional background, state key skills, and/or notable accomplishments.
Alternatively, there are a couple of popular frameworks that could do an excellent job for you.
Popular LinkedIn About frameworks
1. One of the best frameworks you could use for your LinkedIn About is the narrative one.
Basically, the career journey you embarked on to reach the heights you are at today.
Any good LinkedIn story can follow one of the most basic outlines used in storytelling:
- Kicks off with the main character (a.k.a. you): what would make audiences sympathize with them?
- What is the main character's goal/vision/ dream in life (in their career)?
- Obstacles (the big "Oh, No" moment): how did they challenge the character to grow?
- What are the lessons learned?
- Where is this main character now?
ChatGPT could assist you to write the narrative LinkedIn about:
2. Another pretty strong framework you could use is the: "What I can do vs How I can help you" one.
It focuses on setting you apart from other professionals with the unique value you bring about.
This LinkedIn About is an up to four-paragraph affair that intertwines your experience, skills, and best achievements with LinkedIn's SEO.
The "What I can do vs How I can help you" framework is perhaps one of the best choices if you're trying to make an excellent impression on recruiters.
Test it out for yourself:
I want you to act as a professional LinkedIn copywriter, helping me to boost my LinkedIn profile so that I'd get more job offers. I need help to optimize my About section - it should be up to 2000 characters (four paragraphs) and sound professional, yet enthusiastic about new opportunities. The framework I'd like you to use should be centered on my unique value as a professional. I'll provide you with my resume skills, achievements, and experience, so you can optimize those for LinkedIn's SEO. The final copy should ultimately answer this question: "This is what I can do as a professional, and here's how I can help your company grow". Here's my resume: [paste in your resume].
Writing your LinkedIn About should entirely reflect your personality and be about you as a professional.
You could potentially:
- start off your introduction with a few (possibly cheesy) icebreakers/ dad jokes;
- kick it off with a wise quote that has inspired you to be the professional you are today;
- build up your paragraphs based on three -to-four values and the soft skills you have to support them.
Get creative, and find what works best for you.
And for the fun part, we have prepared seven more ChatGPT prompts you can experiment with to write your best LinkedIn About.
Full resume ChatGPT prompt
ChatGPT prompt based on resume summary
I want you to act as a professional LinkedIn copywriter, helping me optimize my About section so that I can find a new, [senior-level] job. Provide me with text for my LinkedIn About that is no longer than 2000 characters long, that sounds professional, and that showcases my [leadership] skills. Please refer to my resume summary: [paste in your resume summary]
Resume experience ChatGPT prompt
I'm currently optimizing my LinkedIn profile as I'm on the job market. Please help me write a LinkedIn About section up to 2000 characters long. Ensure it is compelling, professional, and integrates industry-vital keywords and skills. My LinkedIn About should be no longer than four paragraphs. For this purpose, please refer to my resume experience: [paste in your resume experience]
LinkedIn About prompt based on resume achievements
Help me write my LinkedIn About section. Use a friendly tone of voice, while keeping the text up to four paragraphs (2000 characters) in length. Only refer to my resume achievements: [paste in your resume achievements]
Feel free to personalize this template by adding more details about your experience and any other achievements you'd like to highlight. Remember to keep it concise and engaging to captivate potential connections and employers. Best of luck with your LinkedIn profile!
The focus prompt
This one could be pretty useful if you happen to have a couple of keywords/ key skills, that you’d like to integrate into your LinkedIn About.
I'll provide you with my resume as a reference for writing a LinkedIn About. I want it to be more focused on my [classroom management] skills. Make sure the About is both creative and optimized for LinkedIn's SEO. Don't just list skills and achievements, but rather build a narrative around my [classroom management] skills. Finally, keep the text to be up to 2000 characters in length. Please refer to my full resume: [paste in your full resume]
The “Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi” mirror prompt
Perhaps, you’d like to mirror your own, or somebody else’s writing style in your LinkedIn About section. These small tweaks could be pretty useful in building your digital identity.
This one is just for fun, but we decided to mirror J.k. Rowling’s writing style for this LinkedIn About.
I want you to help me optimize my LinkedIn About. I really enjoy the style of writing of [J.K. Rowling]. For this next part - I'll provide you with three references to [her] style of writing. I want you to take my current LinkedIn About (which I'll provide you with) and optimize it, so it mirrors [J.K. Rowling's] writing style. Is that alright?
Here's my current LinkedIn About: [paste in what you have written]. Here are three [J.K. Rowling] references:
Reference 1: “[paste in the text]”
Reference 2: “[paste in the text]”
Reference 3: “[paste in the text]”
✨🎓 Passionate Educator | Transforming Classrooms with a Touch of Magic ✨🎓
Welcome to my enchanted realm of education! As an experienced educator, I am wholeheartedly dedicated to conjuring engaging and productive learning environments where students thrive and dreams take flight. 🏫💡
🔸 Journeyed as a devoted Teacher at the esteemed Hudson High School of Learning Technologies 🍎, illuminating young minds in the realms of biology and chemistry. With unwavering passion, I guide and nurture a diverse cohort of 25+ students, empowering them to unlock their hidden potentials. Together, we explore the mysteries of the scientific realm, unraveling the secrets of life itself. Through enchanting extracurricular sessions 📚✨, I have woven a spell of inspiration, raising the retention rate from 75% to 89%, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of my students.
Now, this may be a little too “magical” and “enchanting” for your taste, so don’t forget to edit all ChatGPT outputs.
Spice it up
You have your LinkedIn About ready to go, yet each tagline sounds a bit dull.
I'll provide you with my current LinkedIn About and need help optimizing it. I want each tagline (the first sentence of each and every paragraph) to sound more [conversational and sales-y of my skills]. Make sure that the taglines are written in a [creative] manner - [you could also include emojis]. Here's my current LinkedIn About: [paste in your current LinkedIn headline]
The experience section of your linkedin profile - 175% more enticing with chatgpt
How do you select the best of your experience to feature on your LinkedIn profile?
Refer to just how relevant your role is to the job you're applying for.
For more recent positions that completely align with the desired role requirements, you could include more details in the experience section of your LinkedIn profile.
While with more back-dated work experience items, focus on the skills' relevance to your current career goals.
When listing your experience items, focus on both achievements and skills. Always remember to quantify them with relevant success metrics (e.g. numbers, data, performance review scores, etc.)
Let’s see how ChatGPT can help you adapt your resume experience for LinkedIn.
I'm in the process of optimizing my LinkedIn profile and need help rewriting my experience section. I'll provide you with my most recent work experience from my resume. Could you please create a text I could list under the experience item? Here's my experience: [paste in the text from your resume experience item]
Linkedin’s most important social proof currency: references
Any LinkedIn strategist will highlight the importance of references in your profile. The more you happen to have from different sources - the more plausible and authoritative your experience will be deemed by recruiters.
But here’s the thing about LinkedIn references - they’re very often the case of “you scratch my back, I scratch yours”. You’d need to be able to provide such for colleagues, mentors, team leaders, and even managers.
Checklist: LinkedIn references should be:
- with a strong introduction;
- honest;
- clear and concise;
- filled with strengths and skills, backed up by data;
- ending with a strong recommendation.
ChatGPT can help beat your writer’s block by providing you with a basic frame for your reference.
As a first step, ask the person (to whom you’ll be giving the reference) to provide you with either their resume (it’d be excellent if it’s in Google Docs format) or key skills that they would like to have highlighted.
Next, paste in this prompt:
I'm in the process of writing a LinkedIn reference for [my manager, who's a writer]. This reference will be posted on their LinkedIn profile, so make sure you assess best practices from the platform. Please highlight their [Content Management and Creative Writing Skills]. Include information about [how helpful they've been at the start of my career in teaching me the basics of SEO]. Make sure the reference is less than 2000 characters in length. Please refer to their resume to write the LinkedIn reference: [paste in the resume]
Other useful linkedin profile sections you can fill out with chatgpt
The next four LinkedIn profile sections are nice to have - to possibly fill in some gaps in your experience or perhaps further build-up your professional narrative.
Volunteer
When writing about your volunteer experience, ensure that you’ve highlighted your responsibilities and achievements.
If you’ve worked on any bespoke projects or initiatives, they could also make their way into the volunteer section.
Help me write the description of the volunteer section of my LinkedIn profile. It should be less than 2000 characters long and include how I [assisted at the Soup Kitchen every Thursday and Sunday evening, meeting with thousands of people]. Tie this in with one of my personal values in [helping others in need]. Make sure the description follows LinkedIn's best practices.
Publications
The rule of thumb for writing about your publications on LinkedIn is to always include a clear summary of what your work is about and what its relevance is to the industry.
The description of your publication has to be up to 2,000 characters long.
Popular Projects
What was the purpose of the project you participated in last summer? Were you able to achieve what you set out to do?
The LinkedIn projects’ description should also include any noteworthy achievements, your role in the venture, and the end results.
Education
For your LinkedIn education section, you may decide to paint the full picture with more information.
In the 1000-character limit, you can mention notable academic achievements and honors.
Linkedin messages - chatgpt can help with those
Your whole job search strategy is based on who you know, so you’ve decided to take the time to build a sustainable LinkedIn network.
And one key player within your network would be adding relevant recruiters. Now, these professionals receive plenty of requests per day.
To stand out from the crowd, include a personalized message with your connection request.
Key takeaways
- Before you start optimizing your LinkedIn profile, learn a bit more about your target audience; to get the recruiters’ attention, you need to research relevant keywords, ensure your profile is updated, and take the time to network.
- ChatGPT can be a useful instrument in allocating keywords, understanding the behavior/ activity of recruiters, and devising your tone of voice.
- Apart from keywords, focus your LinkedIn profile on your strengths and achievements (both quantifiable with data); credibility (in the form of references); and authentic narrative you’d intertwine.
- ChatGPT prompts can be used to support you in writing various sections of your LinkedIn profile; from headline and about to volunteer, education, etc.
- ChatGPT’s outputs should serve as frameworks which you’d personalize. Remember that your most authentic self is what’d win you the job in the end of the day.
Make one that's truly you.
