LinkedIn Profile Writing: How to Write and Proofread Every Section

CorrectNow Editorial Team · 6 min read

A LinkedIn profile works like a CV that people read without being asked. Recruiters, clients and colleagues often look at it before they reply to you, and they form an impression within a few lines. Clear writing and correct grammar are a large part of that impression.

This guide walks through the main sections of a profile, with advice on what to write and the language mistakes to check before you save.

Headline: say what you do and for whom

Your headline appears next to your name almost everywhere on the platform, so it has to work on its own. A job title alone is fine, but a short phrase about what you do or who you help is often clearer.

Avoid vague labels that anyone could use. Specific words such as the field you work in, the tools you use or the kind of clients you serve help the right people find you.

• Incorrect: Passionate professional looking for opportunities – Correct: Marketing analyst | Email campaigns and customer data for retail brands (Specific words describe what you actually do.)

About section: write in the first person

The About section is where you can sound like a person. Writing in the first person (I) is normal on LinkedIn and reads more naturally than describing yourself in the third person.

Start with what you do now, then add what you are good at and what you are looking for. Keep paragraphs short, because many readers will be on a phone. If you include results, use only figures you can stand behind.

• Incorrect: I am passionate for design and have experience of five years. – Correct: I am passionate about design and have five years of experience. (The fixed phrase is passionate about, and the word order sounds more natural.)
• Incorrect: Priya is a reliable team player who loves solving problems. – Correct: I enjoy solving problems and working closely with my team. (First person sounds more natural in your own profile.)

Experience: consistent tense and strong verbs

Use the present tense for your current role and the past tense for previous ones. Mixing them in the same entry is one of the most common profile errors.

Begin each point with a clear action verb instead of responsible for. Responsible for describes a duty; an action verb describes what you did.

• Useful verbs: built, led, improved, designed, trained, negotiated, launched, reduced
• Keep one idea per line so each point is easy to scan.

• Incorrect: Managed a team of five and lead weekly reviews. – Correct: Managed a team of five and led weekly reviews. (The past tense of lead is led.)
• Incorrect: Responsible for the handling of customer complaints. – Correct: Handled customer complaints and resolved escalations. (An action verb is shorter and more direct.)

Skills, titles and capital letters

Write job titles, company names, product names and software exactly as their owners write them. Capitalise job titles consistently across your profile. Check acronyms carefully, because a misspelled tool name in your skills list is noticed quickly by people in your field.

Be consistent with dates too. If you write Jan 2021 in one role, do not write January 2021 or 01/2021 in another. Small inconsistencies like these are not grammar errors, but readers notice them.

Common grammar mistakes in profiles

These small errors appear in many profiles and are easy to fix once you look for them.

• Incorrect: I have a strong experience in sales. – Correct: I have strong experience in sales. (Experience meaning skill is uncountable, so it takes no article.)
• Incorrect: Looking forward to connect with you. – Correct: Looking forward to connecting with you. (Look forward to is followed by the -ing form.)
• Incorrect: Expert in Excel, Powerpoint and Sql. – Correct: Expert in Excel, PowerPoint and SQL. (Use the official spelling and capitals of product names.)

Proofreading your profile before you save

Write longer sections in a document first, check them, and then paste them into LinkedIn. It is easier to proofread in a full window than in a small text box.

CorrectNow checks spelling, grammar and punctuation and explains each correction without rewriting your text, so your profile still sounds like you. If you write your profile in a second language, you can draft it in your first language, translate it, and then proofread the translation. Finally, view your public profile on a phone to see what people read first.

Frequently asked questions

Should my LinkedIn About section be in the first or third person?

First person is common and usually reads more naturally. Third person can sound distant on your own profile, though some people use it for official bios elsewhere.

Which tense should I use for job descriptions?

Use the present tense for your current role and the past tense for previous roles, and keep each entry consistent.

Can I write my profile in more than one language?

Many people write in the language their audience uses most. If you write in a language that is not your first, ask a fluent speaker to read it or proofread it carefully before publishing.

Proofread your profile text · Check your English grammar · Translate a draft, then proofread it