The 7 Biggest Mistakes People Make With Their LinkedIn About

Your LinkedIn About will likely be the most-read version of your bio. Whether you’re networking, job hunting, sourcing staff, sharing thought leadership, or building your personal brand, it’s one of the most valuable parts of your profile. Yet, many professionals either neglect it or fail to use it effectively.

Your LinkedIn About Is Your Chance To Make People Want To Know You

Consider your About your digital handshake—the first real chance for someone to understand who you are beyond your job title. It’s your opportunity to tell your story, create a connection, and stand out. But too often, people make avoidable mistakes that dilute their impact and can actually undermine their career goals. To make your LinkedIn About work for you, steer clear of these common mistakes.

1. Not Having a LinkedIn About at All

This is the single biggest mistake. Leaving your LinkedIn About blank is like walking into a networking event and refusing to introduce yourself. If you don’t take the time to write it, you’re missing a huge opportunity to engage your audience.

Without an About, your profile lacks personality and depth. When someone visits your page, they’ll only see your headline, job titles, and work history—but no context, no story, no personality. Your LinkedIn profile becomes an online resume—nothing more.

If you still think LinkedIn is only for job searching, you’re stuck in 2003—when LinkedIn launched. Today, LinkedIn is the place where you introduce yourself, build and nurture relationships, express your thought leadership, and learn and grow. People use LinkedIn to check out your profile all the time—colleagues, potential clients, recruiters, industry peers, and even the person who sits in the cubicle behind you. A blank About makes your profile feel incomplete and forgettable.

2. Repeating Your Headline

Your headline is important—it provides a quick hit of relevance by summarizing your expertise or current role. But your About is meant to go deeper.

Too many people simply repeat their headline at the start of their About, wasting space and the reader’s time. If you’ve already told me you’re a “Marketing Director Specializing in Digital Growth Strategies,” you don’t need to start your About with: “I’m a Marketing Director specializing in digital growth strategies.”

When someone checks out your profile, they don’t see your entire about—just the first couple of lines. To get people to click “See more” you need to make those lines intriguing. Use your About to expand on your headline and bring your expertise to life. Instead of just stating your role, tell me:

• How did you get here?
• Why do you do what you do?
• What impact have you made?
• What motivates you?

3. Summarizing Your Experience Like a Resume

Many people treat their LinkedIn About like a mini, digital resume—a dry, chronological summary of their work experience. LinkedIn changed the name of this section from Summary to About to encourage members to tell their compelling story.

Your Experience section is designed to show your work chronology. It lists your jobs, titles, employers, and key achievements. Your About should provide the bigger picture—the why behind your career, your passion, and what truly sets you apart. If your About reads like this:

“I have 10 years of experience in project management, working across various industries and successfully leading multiple teams.”…it’s time for a refresh. This approach is too generic and uninspiring.

4. Using Boring, Overused Business Jargon

We’ve all seen LinkedIn profiles packed with corporate buzzwords like:

• Results-driven professional with a proven track record of success.
• Passionate leader leveraging synergies to drive innovation and optimize efficiency.
• Dynamic and motivated self-starter.

It might sound impressive to some, but it doesn’t really say much, and lots of others use the same tired corporate speak. If your LinkedIn About is filled with jargon and clichés, you sound like a corporate robot, not a real person. Worse, it makes your profile forgettable because you blend in with everyone else. There’s already enough tech entering the workplace. Stand out from it by expressing your humanity.

The more concrete and personal your About is, the more memorable and engaging it becomes.

5. Being Too Generic (The ‘Me-Too’ Problem)

Does your About section sound like it could belong to anyone else in your industry? If so, you’re making the “me-too” mistake. Avoid phrases like:

• I’m a highly motivated professional passionate about innovation.
• I enjoy solving problems and working with teams.
• I have a strong work ethic and always strive for excellence.

You need to brand your profile. Get clear about your unique personal brand. Your LinkedIn About should showcase what makes you unique. If I read it and can’t tell what sets you apart, you haven’t given me a reason to want to know you.

Lean into what makes you, you.

6. Not Sharing Anything Personal

People connect with people, not job titles. If your About is purely professional, you miss an opportunity to build real connections. This isn’t about oversharing. Adding a touch of personality makes you more relatable.

Think holistically. A little personal insight—what drives you, an experience that shaped your career, or even a small detail about your passions or side hustles—can make your profile stand out and feel more human.

Small details about who you are as a person make a big difference.

7. Not Leaving People Wanting More

Your LinkedIn About shouldn’t just inform—it should engage and intrigue. If someone reads it and thinks, “That was nice,” but takes no action, you’ve missed the mark.

A great About makes people curious to learn more, connect, or reach out. Think about what you can include that will get the read to say, “I want to know more about that.”

Your LinkedIn About Is Your Personal Brand Showcase

Avoid these mistakes, and you’ll create an About that’s not just another block of text but a compelling, engaging, and memorable introduction—an invitation to get to know you better. Take a fresh look at your About today, because when done right, it’s one of the most powerful tools for your career.

William Arruda is a keynote speaker, co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and co-creator of BrandBoost – a virtual, video-fueled course to help you grow your self-awareness, uncover your personal brand, and amp up your career success.